September 25, 2016
Letters, Wisconsin

State health department AWOL on wind turbine impacts

Cindy Kuscienko: State health department AWOL on wind turbine impacts | The Cap Times | September 24, 2016 | madison.com

The refusal of Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services to even consider testing for health risks associated with industrial wind turbines just goes to show that the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil monkeys are alive and well at the state level when it comes to the wind industry. Rather than believing those who have testified to their experiences and those who have abandoned their homes, they take the word of the wind developers and a very lopsided wind-siting council.

There is no scientific proof of what causes fibromyalgia, yet people are diagnosed with the illness. For years no one linked cancer to smoking, now 22 percent of cancers are caused by tobacco use. Where is the scientific proof as to who will get sick riding a Tilt-A-Whirl?

Not everyone is affected by infrasound and/or electro-magnetic fields, but it would behoove the health department to provide guidance in creating uniform criteria that would assist in identifying the health impacts of exposure to wind turbine infrasound on the human body – criteria that would be measurable before and after living in close proximity to a wind project.

St. Croix County Health & Human Services board members and St. Croix County Board of Supervisors are to be commended for passing a resolution regarding the planned development of wind energy systems and how they can best serve the people living in western Wisconsin if Highland Wind comes to fruition. Isn’t that what the Wisconsin Department of Health supposed to do? Protecting the health, safety and welfare of the people is supposed to be the mission statement of the DHS. Given the blatant disregard of the issues raised and requested assistance from wind victims in other Wisconsin counties, one wonders whose side they are on? Certainly not that of the residents of Wisconsin.

Cindy Kuscienko

Glenwood City

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/09/25/state-health-department-awol-on-wind-turbine-impacts/