October 25, 2017
Iowa, Letters

Invenergy application does not comply

Emmetsburg News | October 24, 2017 | www.emmetsburgnews.com

Evidence the proposed Industrial Wind Project will not meet county regulations.

An expert Acoustician, specializing in the branch of physics concerned with the properties of sound, conducted a Pre-Construction Noise Analysis focusing on audible sound. Frequency ranges greater than 20 decibels (dBA) affect both human and animals.

Acoustical trespassing from the hosting turbine will be trespassing unto neighbors, livestock, domestic pets, and wildlife. Non-participating residents and animals will be exposed to long term (up to 35 years) of 24/7 noise pollution.

The Pre-Construction Noise Analysis shows the project will not meet local regulations written using the phrase “shall not exceed 50 dBA”. A do not to exceed limit means that if there are exceedances at any time there are violations.

Every person is significant.

Chronic daily 24/7 noise pollution will affect our neighbors, friends, and innocent sensitive recreational visitors. The analysis shows that in the immediate listening radius, 106 homes of non-participating residents will be exposed to long term disturbing sound levels. However, wind carries sound waves miles further into wetlands and five island lake. The World Health Organization recognizes that at 40 dBA sleep disturbances occur. These findings are significant since even at our current lenient 50 dBA threshold, the project will not meet local limits.

Hearing is one of the most crucial means of survival in the animal world, and speech is one of the most distinctive characteristics of human development and culture. For example, songbirds and frogs use sound and hearing as a key element of mating rituals and marking territories.

Protection of hearing remains vital to communication. Cumulative exposure leads to permanent damage. A safer more protective threshold is less than 35 dBA. Mechanical waves encompass sound, vibration, ultrasound, and infrasound, thus, further analysis is needed. I presented a recommendation to the Boards of Supervisors on Tuesday 10-17-2017, to please reject this application for the protection of all humans, animal and our delicate ecosystem in beautiful Palo Alto County.

Lois Stillman

Emmetsburg, IA


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/10/25/invenergy-application-does-not-comply/