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Wind Power News: health/
Annette Smith: The winds of woe
Prospective neighbors of wind turbines heard all the promises: “Quiet as a library.” “Like a baby’s breath.” “The same decibel level as a refrigerator.” The more brazen wind developers claimed “you will not hear them.” Then the four hundred and fifty foot wind towers with their bus-size nacelles and three-bladed fans were built. Sixteen in Sheffield, four on Georgia Mountain, twenty-one in Lowell. And neighbors learned the truth. Yes, you can hear them. They sound like “a jet plane that . . . Complete story »
Shirley Wind Farm ruling shouldn’t be last word
One chapter of the Shirley Wind Farm saga ended this past week, but the story needs to continue for the sake of the people living near the wind turbines — and those living near turbines elsewhere. To recap, Brown County Health Director Chua Xiong, after deliberations that went on over months and were obviously agonizing, ruled that she lacked scientific evidence to link the illnesses of some people living near the eight-turbine wind farm in southern Brown County. Xiong’s opinion is not shared . . . Complete story »
County should oppose wind farm
Invenergy filed an application in August, with hopes of obtaining a special use permit from Livingston County, allowing it to the convert 58,000 acres of prime farmland into an industrial area. They have affectionately named the proposed rezoning of southeastern Livingston County the Pleasant Ridge Wind Energy Project. However, there have been developments regarding potential wind farms in our county since they applied. The county has opened the existing wind ordinance for review and subsequent update. The agriculture and zoning . . . Complete story »
Open letter to President of BMA
Dear Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, Although a very short time has elapsed since receipt of the last BMA reply on behalf of Mr. Bourne, it has been spent in serious thought and deep discussion with colleagues. Revisiting all reports and past research has made it possible here to give only a ‘tip of the iceberg/snapshot’ overview of these rapidly burgeoning problems. Please be aware that this final request is therefore made not only on behalf of the rising numbers of people . . . Complete story »
Public Hearing held for 2nd reading of Wind Turbine Ordinance
INDEPENDENCE- On June 2, the first public hearing (first reading) was held for the proposed Wind Turbine Ordinance. Present for the June 2 meeting were Environmental Health/Zoning Director Chad Beatty, assistant county attorney Michael Hudson, Michael Fisher, a private consultant with 7G and Kirk Kraft of RPM Access in West Des Moines who were both on hand to offer suggested changes to the ordinance. At the close of the June 2 hearing, Beatty and Hudson were going to review suggested . . . Complete story »
County adopts amendments; Ordinance now includes extensive restrictions on wind turbines
MANISTIQUE – Despite maintaining for weeks that a slow approach would be taken to the controversial subject of wind development in the county, the Schoolcraft County Board of Commissioners adopted amendments to the zoning ordinance Thursday. Following a presentation from a MSU Extension educator and a speech from the head of a local utility, commissioners chose to pass amendments to section 102 and 508, which include greater restrictions on any type of wind turbine placement. Brad Neumann, a government and . . . Complete story »
Highly alarming position paper from a medical association
On the background of my long working life in community and occupational medicine, including environmental medicine and research, weighting the preventive aspects, I am shocked to read your position paper on wind farms and health. The style and language is definitely not based on scientific, medical wording but sounds much more of what we hear from the wind turbine industry and their sales promoting lobbyists. A pure worship to this “modern” technology. Based on technologies, that are in sharp contradiction . . . Complete story »
AMA dismissal of adverse effects is absurd
I have read the AMA Position Statement on the Health Effects of Wind Farms and I am alarmed. To dismiss any adverse effects is absurd in view of the mounting evidence. Even the wind industry seems to accept that wind farm noise causes annoyance and sleep disturbance and sleep deprivation. The emerging evidence of inadequate sleep as a major risk factor, particularly for Cardiovascular Disease, is overwhelming. If there is any chance of these associations being causal, your Association should . . . Complete story »
Infrasound from wind turbines can trigger migraine and related symptoms
Dear Sir It has come to my knowledge that you have released a position paper about the effects of low frequency noise and infrasound from wind power. I would like to draw your attention to my recently published article about migraine and infrasound in the Swedish Medical Journal “Läkartidningen” which is attached [link]. As you well know, migraine is a polygenetic inherited disease with occasional episodes of headache. It is also well known that people with migraine are more sensitive . . . Complete story »
Intentional bias behind AMA position statement?
Dear Dr. Hambleton, As a rural primary care physician (graduate of Harvard Medical School in 1971) in northern Vermont, USA, I have observed first hand the adverse health effects experienced by individuals living too close to the two large wind projects that have been brought online in the area over the past few years. In my testimony (see attached below) last year before the Vermont Senate Health Care Committee (as well as testimony before the Senate Natural Resources Committee and . . . Complete story »
