Health Effects of Wind Power Generation

There are a variety of potential health risks to community members when large scale wind projects are installed. These risks are inherent and many of them simply can't be mitigated.

Health Risks Due to Stray Voltage

The effects of stray voltage on humans and other living animals has not been well studied but anecdotal evidence indicates and common sense indicate that being around intense electro-magnetic fields for long periods of time could not be good for ones health or the health of livestock and other animals. According to a post installation survey of industrial wind turbines in Lincoln Township WI, at least four farms are fighting herd decline due to diseases that weren't present prior to the installation of the wind power facility. One farmer - Scott Srnka, who was initially in favour of the wind project in Lincoln Township said to the Town Board:

"Thirteen turbines were proposed for my land, but we decided to wait. Thank goodness we did or we'd be out of farming." (Source: Excerpts from the Final Report of the Township of Lincoln - WIND TURBINE MORATORIUM COMMITTEE)

And from the same report:

"Within a few months in the first year after the turbines were erected, 8 cows died of cancer. No previous cases of cancer were detected ever before in the Srnka herd, which is a closed herd, according to Mr. Srnka." (Mr. Srnka's dairy herd was previously an award winning herd)

"Mr. Srnka has traced the decline of milk production and increase of cancer and deformities in his formerly award-winning herd to an increase of electrical pollution on his farm after turbine construction. He also has seen the same chronic symptoms that are in his herd in his family."

These symptoms include

• sleep loss
• diarrhea
• headaches
• frequent urination
• menstrual problems
• bloody noses: Mr. Srnka had cows bleed to death from uncontrollable bleeding from the nostrils
• inability to conceive

The risk of stray voltage from the wind turbines in Lincoln Township is causing people to rethink their plans to have children. This risk can be mitigated with thorough analysis of the electrical system associated with the wind turbines but to date, nothing has been done.

Flicker Induced Health Risks

There are two distinct type of flicker associated with wind turbines. Shadow flicker arises as the shadow of the moving turbine blades moves across the ground. This type of flicker is most common when the sun is at a low angle in the sky, such as mornings and evenings in the summer and just about any time in the winter. These shadows can extend great distances from the base of the turbine, particularly when the shadow is downhill from the turbines such as would be the case in Ripley and Westfield. The second typ of flicker that can arise from wind turbins is strobing. Strobing occurs when turbine blades catche the sun and reflect it back towards the viewer. Since a turbine blade will be in the position where this reflection takes place up to 60 times per minute (20RPM X 3 blades) the effect is like a strobe light. Strobing can occur at any time of day and can happen anywhere the turbines can be seen - especially from the south, east and west.

The most severe, though by no means the only health risk associated with shadow flicker and strobing is seizure. It is a known fact that flickering or strobing light can cause seizure in susceptible individuals. Other risks due to flicker and strobing include headache, loss of balance, nausea and disorientation. Having a seizure is a severe medical issue but if that seizure, or for that matter disorientation, were to take place while a person was driving a car or operating farm equipment, it could be devastating to that individual and family.

Mommy won't be coming home because those things on the hill
caused a seizure and she crashed her car.

Industrial wind turbine flicker is also a general distraction. From the section of the Lincoln Township report inviting comments about shadows from the blades: "They catch my eye and I look at them instead of the road. They are dangerous."

Noise Induced Health Risks

Potential health effects from constant exposure to noise run a wide gamut. At high levels, hearing loss can occur but constant exposure to noise at levels expected from industrial wind turbines would more likely result in anxiety, nervousness and a general lack of a sense of well being, - especially in those who are sensitive. Noise from wind turbines can also affect both the ability to sleep (e.g. not being able to fall asleep or waking during sleep) and sleep patterns (e.g. quality of sleep). A person whose sleep patterns are disrupted may sleep through the night yet not feel rested in the morning. This can pose dangers in the operation of cars and equipment.

Low Frequency Noise Induced Health Risks

Low frequency noise was used as an instrument of torture by the Germans during World War II. This type of noise is inaudible yet its presence can cause emotional problems even stronger than audible noise. Symptoms of exposure to low frequency noise include severe anxiety, nervousness, migraines, dizziness and sleep problems.. The problem here is that there is nothing that can be readily identified as the source of the anxiety without specialized test equipment. The article Wind farms 'make people sick who live up to a mile away' from the Daily Telegraph describes the impact of low frequency noise on residents near an industrial wind power installation. According to Dr. Amanda Harry, the researcher who looked into this effect, of 14 people that lived near the industrial wind power facility, only 1 was unaffected.

Industrial Wind Power is a danger to the health and well being of this community.