Two more news stories echo complaints from wind farm residents in our state. Question of the day: Why aren't Wisconsin journalists picking up on this story?

Wind Turbine Noise is Rattling Some Residents in Michigan's Thumb

By Jeff Kart

The Bay City Times

[Source:mlive.com]

11 June 2009

Wind turbines are creating some bad buzz in Michigan’s Thumb.

The big blades have been welcomed by many, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, as they’ve gone up in the farm fields of Huron County in recent years.

But a handful of people who live near some of the 46 turbines at a wind park in Bingham and Sheridan townships are now complaining about ongoing noise and rumble from the 300-foot-tall renewable energy generators.

The home of David Peplinski is dwarfed by one of the wind turbines that is about 1,500 feet from his property. Peplinski says he and his family are kept up at night by the sound and vibrations produced by the nearby turbines. Michael Randolph | Bay City Times

“You can’t go outside and have a nice, peaceful quiet night anymore,” said Curt Watchowski, 42, who lives about 1,500 feet from two turbines on Purdy Road.

Watchowski, like some other residents, also complains of sleepless nights due to the noise, which he likens to the sound of a jet plane flying over.

Huron County officials have taken a half-dozen complaints in recent months, and have asked John Deere Wind Energy, which owns the park near Ubly called Michigan Wind 1, to hire an independent firm to conduct a noise study, said Russell R. Lundberg, director of the County Building and Zoning Department.

The county has a wind energy zoning ordinance with complex noise requirements. But the county has no way to measure the decibel levels from the turbines, Lundberg said.

“The turbines are assumed to be in compliance with the ordinance simply because we had a pre-construction wind study completed,” he said.

The complaints come at a time when the Thumb is in the spotlight for new wind development.

Utilities including DTE Energy have leased land for future wind turbine developments to help meet a state renewable energy standard signed into law last year.

A recent report from the Michigan Wind Energy Resource Zone Board has identified parts of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola, Bay and Saginaw counties as one of four regions in Michigan with the highest level of wind energy harvest potential.

Watchowski questions the decision to have John Deere contract for the study.

He said he hopes Huron County leaders will make sure there’s better planning for future projects.

“They were rushed in here without enough review,” Watchowski said. “I’m not against wind energy … but there is proper places for it, and it’s not next to homes.”

David Peplinski, Watchowski’s brother-in-law, lives nearby and within 1,300 feet of a turbine. He said he’s had problems with rumbling, or “infrasound.”

Peplinski compares the rumble to the feeling of a train moving by, or distant thunder. He said the rumble varies depending on wind direction, but seems to occur most often in the early morning hours.

“When I lay in bed, that’s what wakes me up. That’s what’s not allowing us to get a good night’s sleep,” said Peplinski, 44.

John Deere Wind Energy has been meeting with residents to discuss their questions and concerns, said Angela Gallagher, a company spokeswoman.

“John Deere has engaged a consulting engineering firm to complete a study based on the measured sound level of the turbines in Ubly,” Gallagher said in a statement.

“We will share an update when the study is available and this date will be determined once the testing and report is complete.”

A common complaint among the handful of residents is that a setback requirement for the wind turbines, to be within 1,000 feet of a home, wasn’t strict enough.

Several studies have examined connections between wind turbine noise and health issues.

A researcher named Dr. Nina Pierpont of Malone, N.Y., has coined the phrase “wind turbine syndrome” for sleep problems, headaches, dizziness and other maladies experienced by some people who live near wind energy farms.

Her research says wind turbines should never be built closer than two miles from homes, according to a report in The Oregonian.

Lundberg said the 1,000-foot setback requirement was put in the county zoning ordinance after much study.

He questions whether the people who are complaining would be doing so if they signed leases to locate windmills on their property and were collecting profits from the turbines.

“If you were getting a little green for it, maybe the noise wouldn’t be so bad,” he said.

But Peplinski said that’s not the case.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” he said. “That’s part of what drives me to even take these steps, because I fear for the people who’ve signed up and their health.”

Lundberg said county officials expected to have noise complaints after the turbines were operating, due to a small group of residents who were against the development.

He encourages companies who are considering building more windmills in the Thumb to get everyone involved, including people who won’t have turbines on their land.

Lundberg said the county has formed a subcommittee to deal with the complaints, oversee the wind noise study and decide whether the local zoning ordinance needs to be changed.

One possibility is a separate setback standard for homes that aren’t part of a wind energy park, he said.

SECOND STORY:

Wind Casts a Shadow -- and Yes, it Flickers

by Matt Surtel

Source: The Daily News

June 6, 2009

SHELDON -- Call it the flip side of paradise.

Jessica and David Nuhn's living room starts pulsing about 7:35 p.m. on a Friday evening. The entire room darkens and brightens rhythmically, cycling a little faster than once per second.

The effect is like something from a 1950s black-and-white monster movie.

Paul Zawadzki of Eagle knows the phenomena well himself. He calls it psychedelic, and old-fashioned strobe lights indeed come to mind.

The pulsing blobs are shadow flicker from one of the windmills at the edge of the High Sheldon Wind Farm. It's not what the Nuhns expected when they bought their dream house in 2006.

"Since we've owned this home, I had no health problems previously," says a somewhat sleepless Jessica Nuhn. "I'm a registered nurse -- a critical care nurse. I've got my bachelor's degree and I know about health.

"Since the turbines have been spinning, I've had headaches ... The noise has kept me up at night, the noise gives me headaches, the noise crushes my sinuses."

Nuhn says she's never had sinus problems before, and now she sees floating spots, for which she's seeing a doctor.

"I've never had headaches and now I do," she said. "I'm high-stress now, and I'm very used to dealing with high-stress situations, and I can't even handle coming home anymore."

Raising an issue

The Nuhns were among six individuals or couples from Sheldon and Eagle who met at their house that evening.

They were joined by Councilman Glenn Cramer of Sheldon -- who has long raised wind turbine concerns with the town -- and Hal Graham of Cohocton.

Graham signed a lease for a turbine on his property, but has since made his regrets public.

With the exception of Cramer, who said he isn't directly affected, the individuals described or documented problems similar to what the Nuhns have experienced.

High Sheldon came on-line in March, and is now producing energy for the state's general power grid. The facility includes 75 turbines, each about 400 feet tall.

For these particular residents, the giant windmills have proven a nightmare. Although some opposed them from the beginning, the Nuhns said they'd taken no major interest when they bought their house.

Jessica started noticing the effects after the farm was built. Even her husband David didn't really believe her, until he said he spent a full day at home, shortly after she started voicing her concerns.

"I didn't notice it, but I wasn't home as much as Jessica," he said. "All of a sudden, being down the hill, you just realize how loud they are.

"I don't care what anybody says," he continued. "They say it's as loud as a refrigerator, but you cannot hear your refrigerator from half a mile away. It's definitely louder than that."

What the residents described on two Fridays ago was a low rumbling, similar to a jet engine's "whoosh" which never leaves the area. They said it's occasionally punctuated by a sudden, loud bang.

The loud noises are one thing, they said, but the low rumbling is the worst. They said it's overwhelming, and maintain it's louder than the 50 decibels allowed by Sheldon's zoning laws.

The noise is much worse at night, once the area's ambient noise is gone, said Nadja Laska, another resident affected.

Several of the impacted residents said they're having the noise levels tested professionally.

The noises may come and go, they said, and are in addition to the shadow flicker, which lasted about 40 minutes that Friday evening. It filled the room despite the Nuhns' drawn curtain.

Beyond that, the couple said their cellphone reception has become spotty, and many residents described problems with their television reception. Laska showed a video in which her screen was occasionally scrambled, and seemed to pulse in time with the shadow flicker dominating her living room.

Helpless feeling

Complaints have gone nowhere, the homeowners allege.

Zawadzki said he approached Department of Conservation officials at the local level. He said he was told to call Albany, where officials told him they didn't handle such issues.

The Sheldon homeowners said they've made numerous calls to Invenergy's hotline -- talking to people in the Chicago office, before dealing with local representatives.

They said there are no results, even when Administrative Assistant Mary Kehl visits their locations to register their problems. They describe any such interactions with the company as ineffectual.

The entire process, involving formalized complaints, leaves them with little hope their problems will ever be relieved. They say they need to first prove they're being harmed.

And even if they do, they believe there would be some way for the information to be overturned, again blocking any hope of relief.

They compared the process to jumping through hoops.

They likewise don't want be seen as crazy or unreasonable, but conveyed a sense of being overwhelmed by the issue. They expect to get no real or effective help from the company, and Laska said she first complained in February.

Nuhn, who's studying for her master's degree, said they don't want people think they're a group of ignorant hicks -- they know what they're talking about, and their complaints are very real.

She said she grew up near railroad tracks in Alden, so she knows what a noisy environment's like. But she's never experienced these kinds of issues before.

In the meantime, the impacted residents are dealing with the nightly noise, shadow flicker and other effects.

Invenergy's offered to supply shades or plant trees, some of the residents said. They believe, however, any such steps are beside the point.

Jessica Nuhn said she doesn't want to live with her shades drawn, or sleep with the windows closed and an air conditioner running, to try to drown out the noise. She said it's the opposite of why she and David bought their house in the country, in the first place.

Such complaints are not uncommon, and the state's wind energy task force has received several such reports, said Wyoming County District Attorney Gerald Stout, who's himself a task force member.

Those residents face a Catch-22 situation if they can't complain to the DEC, and believe the wind energy companies or local officials aren't responding sufficiently.

"I don't know where to refer them at this point," Stout said. "We still haven't figured that out ... Since Invenergy hasn't agreed to sign the Attorney General's code of conduct, the only thing I can recommend is they contact the state Attorney General's office directly."

He said he hasn't received any such complaints from Sheldon or Eagle in his role as district attorney, although the task force has.

"(The affected residents) realize now the wind task force and the attorney general's are going to be doing anything, if anybody's doing anything," he said.

A state DEC representative confirmed on Thursday that the agency doesn't handle wind turbine issues. They'd instead be recommended to local jurisdictions such as code enforcement.

Individual effects

The residents believe everybody's affected differently, and not everybody will show negative effects from the wind turbines.

Some residents will be fine and others are more sensitive, Laska said.

But at the same time, the residents said the wind farms are wrecking their lives, and they're left with few options.

Cynthia Blair said she and her husband Ken had lived in town for three decades, and are facing the hard choice of selling their house at a loss, if they wish to leave the area.

That dilemma has indeed been a concern for Cramer, who pushed unsuccessfully for a townwide property protection act, before the Town Board and town Planning Board each approved the permits for High Sheldon two years ago.

"Anybody that's hurt like this should be given their money and given the option to go someplace else," he said.

Not that they'd have necessarily wanted to leave. But the residents feel trapped, if they can even sell their houses.

They believe they have few real options in the overall situation. They say selling at a loss, or abandoning their properties, would be a desperation measure.

Zawadzki said the state has a disclosure law, so prospective buyers would need to be informed exactly why a homeowner's leaving, making the house much less attractive.

The disclosure form requires property owners to list and describe any ownership, environmental, structural or mechanical problems to a perspective buyer or realtor, before a sale goes through.

"We are looking at other properties," Jessica Nuhn said. "The best we can do is wait for the market to get better ... But to even consider moving out, that's got to be quite an impact."

It's not about the money, the residents said. Nor do they begrudge the people who signed lease agreements or easements.

None of the residents gathered Friday said they're receiving compensation for the turbines, and they say the elimination of their town taxes -- about $600 annually -- definitely wasn't worth the overall cost.

Not with the noise, the sleeplessness, the bizarre, pulsing shadows and overall impact on their lives.

"I want you to hear, loud and clear, and make no mistake," Laska said. "I begrudge my neighbors nothing. Not one penny. Nothing at all.

"But I don't know how long I can take it, OK?" she continued. "I don't owe anybody the comfort and the quality of life inside my house.

"It's not about money for me. It's about living my quiet, peaceful, humble life. That's what I want. My quality of life."

click on the image above to see photos and videos from Wisconsin's newest wind farm.

Wind Turbine Syndrome: Are Wind Farms Hazardous to Human Health?

[Click Here for Source: Reuters.com ]

By Stephen Boles

June 8, 2009

Over the last few years, the wind energy sector has been experiencing tremendous growth as governments and utilities around the world seek sources of energy that generate reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In Ontario, the province has plans to increase the wind component of its electricity generation from the current 1 percent to 15 percent by 2025.

For the most part the wind energy industry has coasted along with favorable press and public opinion. The industry has had to weather some resistance, particularly pertaining to wildlife impacts (primarily birds and bats) and the consistency and reliability of wind power. Yet these criticisms have not gained enough traction to have a noticeable effect on the growth of the industry, which is being hailed as a source of tens of thousands of potential new jobs in the evolving green economy.

Wind turbines emit inaudible sound waves in the low end of the sound spectrum and rhythmic vibrations caused by the spinning blades. These are suspected to cause a host of adverse health effects in some people that live in close proximity to the turbines, including:

insomnia,
headaches,
acute hypertensive episodes,
cardiac arrhythmia,
heart palpitations,
high blood pressure,
the sensation of bugs crawling on the skin,
humming in the head,
continuous ringing in the ears,
dizziness

The condition has been given a name: "Wind Turbine Syndrome", coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont, the subject of her recently published 150-page book. Wind Concerns Ontario is a coalition of 32 individual anti-wind citizens' groups that have joined together from across the province of Ontario; they have named Wind Turbine Syndrome as one of their key focus areas. Both Dr. Pierpont and Wind Concerns Ontario recommend a minimum 2 kilometer setback for wind turbines from residential homes, along the lines with what is recommended by the World Health Organization (1.5 kilometers).

The assignment of setback distances in Ontario is currently governed by municipalities (the province will be taking control under its new Green Energy Act) with most setbacks being under 500 meters. Given the mounting evidence indicating adverse effects that wind turbines can have on human health, it is critical that more research be conducted into adequate setback distances. With the emphasis that the world is placing on wind energy as a critical piece of our future energy puzzle, setback distance research would be time and money well spent to ensure that wind power grows in harmony with the environment and its citizens.

REUTERS

NOTE FROM THE BPWI RESEARCH NERD: Scroll down to read a summary of the report on wind turbine impacts on human health put out by the Minnesota Department of Health in May of 2009. This report echoes concerns mentioned in the article above.

[Download the complete Minnesota Department of Health report by clicking here]

Key Points from the Minnesota Report:

--Problems with turbine noise in general, low frequency noise specifically and also trouble from shadow flicker are not a major concern at a setback of half a mile.

--There is nothing in the report which advocates a closer setback.

--Shadow flicker is a bigger problem than predicted by the modeling software developers use, can last an hour and a half.

--The common calculations for predicting turbine noise are not adequate and because of this, noise levels are underestimated.

--Noise from wind turbines bothers people more quickly than noise at equal levels from traffic, planes or trains.

--The most common complaints from residents living within half mile are lack of sleep from turbine noise and also headaches. ( The report also addresses the same list of symptoms Reuters reports.)

--Turbines emit both high frequency and low frequency sounds. High frequency sounds can be lessened by walls and closed windows but low frequency sounds penetrate walls and windows easily.

In March of 2009, the Minnesota Department of Health began an evaluation of health impacts from wind turbine noise and low frequency vibration, which resulted in the May 22, 2009 report called

"Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines"
[Download the entire report by clicking here]

Here's PART TWO of our summary of the report:

(Scroll down to the previous post to read PART ONE)

What are some of the impacts of Wind Turbine Noise?

Page 15-17: "Potential Adverse Reaction to Sound

Human sensitivity to sound, especially to low frequency sound, is variable.

Individuals have different ranges of frequency sensitivity to audible sound; different thresholds for each frequency of audible sound; different vestibular sensitivities and reactions to vestibular activation; and different sensitivity to vibration.

Further, sounds, such as repetitive but low intensity noise, can evoke different responses from individuals.

People will exhibit variable levels of annoyance and tolerance for different frequencies. Some people can dismiss and ignore the signal, while for others, the signal will grow and become more apparent and unpleasant over time (Moreira and Bryan, 1972; Bryan and Tempest, 1973).

These reactions may have little relationship to will or intent, and more to do with previous exposure history and personality.

Stress and annoyance from noise often do not correlate with loudness. This may suggest, in some circumstances, other factors impact an individual’s reaction to noise.

A number of reports, cited in Staples (1997), suggest that individuals with an interest in a project and individuals who have some control over an environmental noise are less likely to find a noise annoying or stressful.

Berglund et al. (1996) reviewed reported health effects from low frequency noise.

Loud noise from any source can interfere with verbal communication and possibly with the development of language skills. Noise may also impact mental health.

However, there are no studies that have looked specifically at the impact of low frequency noise on communication, development of language skills and mental health.

Cardiovascular and endocrine effects have been demonstrated in studies that have looked at exposures to airplane and highway noise.

In addition, possible effects of noise on performance and cognition have also been investigated, but these health studies have not generally looked at impacts specifically from low frequency noise.

Noise has also been shown to impact sleep and sleep patterns, and one study demonstrated impacts from low frequency noise in the range of 72 to 85 dB(A) on chronic insomnia (Nagai et al., 1989 as reported in Berglund et al., 1996).

Case studies have suggested that health can be impacted by relatively low levels of low
frequency noise. But it is difficult to draw general conclusions from case studies. Feldmann and Pitten (2004)) describe a family exposed during the winter to low frequency noise from a nearby heating plant.

Reported health impacts were: “indisposition, decrease in performance, sleep disturbance, headache, ear pressure, crawl parästhesy [crawling, tingling or numbness sensation on the skin] or shortness of breath.”

Annoyance, unpleasant sounds, and complaints:

Reported health effects from low frequency stimulation are closely associated with annoyance from audible noise.

“There is no reliable evidence that infrasounds below the hearing threshold produce physiological or psychological effects” (WHO, 1999). It has not been shown whether annoyance is a symptom or an accessory in the causation of health impacts from low frequency noise. Studies have been conducted on some aspects of low frequency noise that can cause annoyance. Noise complaints are usually a reasonable measure of annoyance with low frequency environmental noise. Leventhall (2004) has reviewed noise complaints and offers the following conclusions:

“ The problems arose in quiet rural or suburban environments
The noise was often close to inaudibility and heard by a minority of people
The noise was typically audible indoors and not outdoors
The noise was more audible at night than day
The noise had a throb or rumble characteristic
The main complaints came from the 55-70 years age group
The complainants had normal hearing.
Medical examination excluded tinnitus.

These are now recognised as classic descriptors of low frequency noise problems.”

These observations are consistent with what we know about the propagation of low intensity, low frequency noise.

Some people are more sensitive to low frequency noise. The difference, in dB, between soft (acceptable) and loud (annoying) noise is much less at low frequency (see Figure 4 audible range compression). Furthermore, during the daytime, and especially outdoors, annoying low frequency noise can be masked by high frequency noise.

The observation that “the noise was typically audible indoors and not outdoors” is not particularly intuitive. However, as noted in a previous section, low frequencies are not well attenuated when they pass through walls and windows.

Higher frequencies (especially above 1000 Hz) can be efficiently attenuated by walls and windows.

In addition, low frequency sounds may be amplified by resonance within rooms and halls of
a building.

Resonance is often characterized by a throbbing or a rumbling, which has also been associated with many low frequency noise complaints.

Low frequency noise, unlike higher frequency noise, can also be accompanied by shaking, vibration and rattling.

In addition, throbbing and rumbling may be apparent in some low frequency noise.

While these noise features may not be easily characterized, numerous studies have shown that their presence dramatically lowers tolerance for low frequency noise (Berglund et al., 1996).

As reviewed in Leventhall (2003), a study of industrial exposure to low frequency noise found that fluctuations in total noise averaged over 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 seconds correlated with annoyance (Holmberg et al., 1997).

This association was noted elsewhere and led (Broner and Leventhall, 1983) to propose a 3dB “penalty” be added to evaluations of annoyance in cases where low frequency noise fluctuated.

In another laboratory study with test subjects controlling loudness, 0.5 – 4 Hz modulation of low frequency noise was found to be more annoying than non-modulated low frequency noise. On average test subjects found modulated noise to be similarly annoying as a constant tone 12.9 dB louder (Bradley, 1994).

Page 17-19: B. Studies of Wind Turbine Noise Impacts on People

1. Swedish Studies

Two studies in Sweden collected information by questionnaires from 341 and 754 individuals (representing response rates of 68% and 58%, respectively), and correlated responses to calculated exposure to noise from wind farms (Pedersen and Waye, 2004; Pedersen, 2007; Pedersen and Persson, 2007).

Both studies showed that the number of respondents perceiving the noise from the wind turbines increased as the calculated noise levels at their homes increased from less than 32.5 dB(A) to greater than 40 dB(A).

Annoyance appeared to correlate or trend with calculated noise levels.

Combining the data from the two studies, when noise measurements were greater than 40 dB(A), about 50% of the people surveyed (22 of 45 people) reported annoyance.

When noise measurements were between 35 and 40 dB(A) about 24% reported annoyance (67 of 276 people).

Noise annoyance was more likely in areas that were rated as quiet and in areas where turbines were visible.

In one of the studies, 64% respondents who reported noise annoyance also reported sleep disturbance; 15% of respondents reported sleep disturbance without annoyance.

2. United Kingdom Study

Moorhouse et al. (UK Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, 2007) evaluated complaints about wind farms. They found that 27 of 133 operating wind farms in the UK received formal complaints between 1991 and 2007. There were a total of 53 complainants for 16 of the sites for which good records were available.

The authors of the report considered that many complaints in the early years were for generator and gearbox noise. However, subjective analyses of reports about noise, (“like a train that never gets there”, “distant helicopter”, “thumping”, “thudding”, “pulsating”, “thumping”, “rhythmical beating”, and “beating”) suggested that aerodynamic modulation was the likely cause of complaints at 4 wind farms.

The complaints from 8 other wind farms may have had “marginal” association with aerodynamic modulation noise.

Four wind farms that generated complaints possibly associated with aerodynamic modulation were evaluated further.These wind farms were commissioned between 1999 and 2002.

Wind direction, speed and times of complaints were associated for 2 of the sites and suggested that aerodynamic modulation noise may be a problem between 7% and 25% of the time.

Complaints at 2 of the farms have stopped and at one farm steps to mitigate aerodynamic modulation (operational shutdown under certain meteorological conditions) have been instituted.

3. Netherlands Study

F. van den Berg et al. (2008) conducted a postal survey of a group selected from all residents in the Netherlands within 2.5 kilometers (km) of a wind turbine.In all, 725 residents responded (37%).

Respondents were exposed to sound between 24 and 54 dB(A). The percentage of respondents annoyed by sound increased from 2% at levels of 30 dB(A) or less, up to 25% at between 40 and 45 dB. Annoyance decreased above 45 dB. Most residents exposed above 45 dB(A) reported economic benefits from theturbines. However, at greater than 45 dB(A) more respondents reported sleep interruption. Respondents tended to report more annoyance when they also noted a negative effect on landscape, and ability to see the turbines was strongly related to the probability of annoyance.

4. Case Reports

A number of un-reviewed reports have catalogued complaints of annoyance and some more severe health impacts associated with wind farms.

These reports do not contain measurements of noise levels, and do not represent random samples of people living near wind turbines, so they cannot assess prevalence of complaints.

They do generally show that in the people surveyed, complaints are more likely the closer people are to the turbines.

The most common complaint is decreased quality of life, followed by sleep loss and headache.

Complaints seem to be either from individuals with homes quite close to turbines, or individuals who live in areas subject to aerodynamic modulation and, possibly, enhanced sound propagation which can occur in hilly or mountainous terrain.

In some of the cases described, people with noise complaints also mention aesthetic issues, concern for ecological effects, and shadow flicker concerns. Not all complaints are primarily about health.

Harry (2007) describes a meeting with a couple in Cornwall, U.K. who live 400 meters from a wind turbine, and complained of poor sleep, headaches, stress and anxiety.

Harry subsequently investigated 42 people in various locations in the U.K. living between 300 meters and 2 kilometers (1000 feet to 1.2 miles) from the nearest wind turbine. The most frequent complaint (39 of 42 people) was that their quality of life was affected.

Headaches were reported by 27 people and sleep disturbance by 28 people.

Some people complained of palpitations, migraines, tinnitus, anxiety and depression. She also mentions correspondence and complaints from people in New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Netherlands and the U.S.

Phipps (2007) discusses a survey of 619 households living up to 10 kilometers (km; 6
miles) from wind farms in mountainous areas of New Zealand. Most respondents lived
between 2 and 2.5 km from the turbines (over 350 households).

Most respondents (519) said they could see the turbines from their homes, and 80% of these considered the turbines intrusive, and 73% considered them unattractive.

Nine percent said they were affected by flicker.

Over 50% of households located between 2 and 2.5 km and between 5 and 9.5 km reported being able to hear the turbines.

In contrast, fewer people living between 3 and 4.5 km away could hear the turbines.

Ninety-two households said that their quality of life was affected by turbine noise.

Sixty-eight households reported sleep disturbances: 42 of the households reported occasional sleep disturbances, 21 reported frequent sleep disturbances and 5 reported sleep disturbances most of the time.

The Large Wind Turbine Citizens Committee for the Town of Union (2008) documents complaints from people living near wind turbines in Wisconsin communities and other places in the U.S. and U.K.

Contained in this report is an older report prepared by the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation in 2001 in response to complaints in Lincoln County, Wisconsin.[click here to download] The report found essentially no exceedances of the 50 dB(A) requirement in the conditional use permit.

The report did measure spectral data accumulated over very short intervals (1 minute) in 1/3 octave bands at several sites while the wind turbines were functioning, and it is of interest that at these sites the sound pressure level at the lower frequencies (below 125 Hz) were at or near 50 dB(A).

Pierpont (2009) postulates wind turbine syndrome, consisting of a constellation of symptoms including headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, cognitive problems and panic episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation.

She studied 38 people in 10 families living between 1000 feet and slightly under 1 mile from newer wind turbines.

She proposes that the mechanism for these effects is disturbance of balance due to “discordant” stimulation of the vestibular system, along with visceral sensations, sensations of vibration in the chest and other locations in the body, and stimulation of the visual system by moving shadows.

Pierpont does report that her study subjects maintain that their problems are caused by noise and vibration, and the most common symptoms reported are sleep disturbances and headache.

However, 16 of the people she studied report symptoms consistent with (but not necessarily caused by) disturbance of equilibrium.

Page 19: Noise Assesment and Regulation

Concise description of noise regulations in Minnesota

Page 19: Low frequency noise assessment and regulation

Concise and technical explanation of how low frequency noise is measured and regulated, why people are more annoyed by wind turbine noise at lower levels than by noise generated by airplanes, traffic and trains, and why that matters.

Two exerpts from this section from the World Health Organization:

WHO says “[i]t should be noted that a large proportion of low-frequency components in noise may increase considerably the adverse effects on health.” (WHO, 1999)

"In their noise guidance, the WHO (1999) recommends 30 dB(A) as a limit for “a good night’s sleep”. However, they also suggest that guidance for noise with predominating low frequencies be less than 30 dB(A)."

Page 22-24: Wind Turbine Sound Measurements

Concise and technical explanation of how wind turbine sound is measured, why low frequency turbine noise is more likely to penetrate through walls and windows than high frequency noise, and why, as one moves away from a wind turbine, the low frequency sound becomes more pronounced.

Page 25: CONCLUSIONS

Wind turbines generate a broad spectrum of low-intensity noise. At typical setback distances higher frequencies are attenuated.

In addition, walls and windows of homes attenuate high frequencies, but their effect on low frequencies is limited.

Low frequency noise is primarily a problem that may affect some people in their homes, especially at night. It is not generally a problem for businesses, public buildings, or for people outdoors.

The most common complaint in various studies of wind turbine effects on people is annoyance or an impact on quality of life.

Sleeplessness and headache are the most common health complaints and are highly correlated (but not perfectly correlated) with annoyance complaints.

Complaints are more likely when turbines are visible or when shadow flicker occurs.

Most available evidence suggests that reported health effects are related to audible low frequency noise.

Complaints appear to rise with increasing outside noise levels above 35 dB(A).

It has been hypothesized that direct activation of the vestibular and autonomic nervous system may be responsible for less common complaints, but evidence is scant.

The Minnesota nighttime standard of 50 dB(A) not to be exceeded more than 50% of the time in a given hour, appears to underweight penetration of low frequency noise into dwellings.

Different schemes for evaluating low frequency noise, and/or lower noise standards, have been developed in a number of countries.

For some projects, wind velocity for a wind turbine project is measured at 10 m and then modeled to the height of the rotor.

These models may under-predict wind speed that will be encountered when the turbine is erected. Higher wind speed will result in noise exceeding model predictions.

Low frequency noise from a wind turbine is generally not easily perceived beyond 1⁄2 mile.

However, if a turbine is subject to aerodynamic modulation because of shear caused by terrain (mountains, trees, buildings) or different wind conditions through the rotor plane, turbine noise may be heard at greater distances.

Unlike low frequency noise, shadow flicker can affect individuals outdoors as well as indoors, and may be noticeable inside any building. Flicker can be eliminated by placement of wind turbines outside of the path of the sun as viewed from areas of concern, or by appropriate setbacks.

Prediction of complaint likelihood during project planning depends on:

1) good noise modeling including characterization of potential sources of aerodynamic modulation noise and characterization of nighttime wind conditions and noise;

2) shadow flicker modeling;

3) visibility of the wind turbines; and

4) interests of nearby residents and community.

P.26 Recommendations

To assure informed decisions: Wind turbine noise estimates should include cumulative impacts (40-50 dB(A) isopleths) of all wind turbines.

Isopleths for dB(C) - dB(A) greater than 10 dB should also be determined to evaluate the low frequency noise component.

Potential impacts from shadow flicker and turbine visibility should be evaluated.

Any noise criteria beyond current state standards used for placement of wind turbines should reflect priorities and attitudes of the community.

Preparers of the Report:

Carl Herbrandson, Ph.D.
Toxicologist

Rita B. Messing, Ph.D.
Toxicologist
Supervisor, Site Assessment and Consultation

[References are included at the end of this report which can be downloaded by clicking here]

Click on the image below to hear what wind turbines sound like and watch video recorded by a Wisconsin wind farm resident last winter.

In March of 2009, the Minnesota Department of Health began an evaluation of health impacts from wind turbine noise and low frequency vibration, which resulted in the May 22, 2009 report called

"Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines"
[Download the entire report by clicking here]

Here's our summary of the report:

(presented in two parts)

PART ONE:

What are current setbacks based on?

At present, common setback distances from homes appear to be based on setbacks needed to optimize wind resources, rather than studies which consider wind turbine impacts on human health, safety, and well-being.

From Page 3: "[Wisconsin Power and Light] is required to develop a site layout that optimizes wind resources.

Accordingly, project developers are required to control areas at least 5 rotor diameters in the prevailing (north-south) wind directions (between about 1300 and 1700 feet for the 1.5 to 2.5 MW turbines under consideration for the project) and 3 rotor diameters in the crosswind (east- west) directions (between about 800 and 1000 feet).

Thus, these are minimum setback distances from properties in the area for which easements have not been obtained.

Why is a minimum setback of half a mile better for people?

Page 6: "The National Research Council of the National Academies (NRC, 2007) has reviewed impacts of wind energy projects on human health and well-being. The NRC begins by observing that wind projects, just as other projects, create benefits and burdens, and that concern about impacts is natural when the source is near one’s home.

Further, the NRC notes that different people have different values and levels of sensitivity.

Impacts noted by the NRC that may have the most effect on health include noise and low frequency vibration, and shadow flicker.

While noise and vibration are the main focus of this paper, shadow flicker (casting of moving shadows on the ground as wind turbine blades rotate) will also be briefly discussed.

[...T]he NRC concludes that noise produced by wind turbines is generally not a major concern beyond a half mile. Issues raised by the NRC report and factors that may affect distances within which wind turbine noise may be problematic are discussed more extensively below.

What are the elementary characteristics of sensory systems affected by wind turbine noise?

On pages 6-7 is a concise, technical description of how human hearing works, followed by a description of the vestibular system.

What is the Vestibular System?

P. 7- "The vestibular system reacts to changes in head and body orientation in space, and is necessary for maintenance of equilibrium and postural reflexes, for performance of rapid and intricate body movements, and for stabilizing visual images (via the vestibulo-ocular reflex) as the direction of movement changes.

[....]While vestibular system activation is not directly felt, activation may give rise to a variety of sensations: vertigo, as the eye muscles make compensatory adjustments to rapid angular motion, and a variety of unpleasant sensations related to internal organs.

In fact, the vestibular system interacts extensively with the “autonomic” nervous system, which regulates internal body organs (Balaban and Yates, 2004). Sensations and effects correlated with intense vestibular activation include nausea and vomiting and cardiac arrhythmia, blood pressure changes and breathing changes.

What is Sound?

Pages 8-9: Concise, technical description of audible frequency sound, and sub-audible frequency sound.

What is Resonance and Modulation and what does it have to do with wind turbine noise?

Page 8- "Sound can be attenuated as it passes through a physical structure. However, because the wavelength of low frequency sound is very long (the wavelength of 40 Hz in air at sea level and room temperature is 8.6 meters or 28 ft), low frequencies are not effectively attenuated by walls and windows of most homes or vehicles.

(For example, one can typically hear the bass, low frequency music from a neighboring car at a stoplight, but not the higher frequencies.)

In fact, it is possible that there are rooms within buildings exposed to low frequency sound or noise where some frequencies may be amplified by resonance (e.g. 1⁄2 wavelength, 1⁄4 wavelength) within the structure.

In addition, low frequency sound can cause vibrations within a building at higher, more audible frequencies as well as throbbing or rumbling.

Sounds that we hear generally are a mixture of different frequencies. In most instances these frequencies are added together.

However, if the source of the sound is not constant, but changes over time, the effect can be re-occurring pulses of sound or low frequency modulation of sound.

This is the type of sound that occurs from a steam engine, a jack hammer, music and motor vehicle traffic.

Rhythmic, low frequency pulsing of higher frequency noise (like the sound of an amplified heart beat) is one type of sound that can be caused by wind turbine blades under some conditions.

What is the human response to low frequency stimulation?

P. 10- concise, technical description of response to low frequency stimulation.

How is sound measured?

P. 10-11 Concise, technical description of how sound is measured.

What kinds of noise do wind turbine make?

P.11-10 " 1. Mechanical noise: Mechanical noise from a wind turbine is sound that originates in the generator, gearbox, yaw motors (that intermittently turn the nacelle and blades to face the wind), tower
ventilation system and transformer.

Generally, these sounds are controlled in newer wind turbines so that they are a fraction of the aerodynamic noise.

Mechanical noise from the turbine or gearbox should only be heard above aerodynamic noise when they are not functioning properly.

2. Aerodynamic noise Aerodynamic noise is caused by wind passing over the blade of the wind turbine.

The tip of a 40-50 meter blade travels at speeds of over 140 miles per hour under normal operating conditions. As the wind passes over the moving blade, the blade interrupts the laminar flow of air, causing turbulence and noise.

Current blade designs minimize the amount of turbulence and noise caused by wind, but it is not possible to eliminate turbulence or noise.

Aerodynamic noise from a wind turbine may be underestimated during planning.

One source of error is that most meteorological wind speed measurements noted in wind farm literature are taken at 10 meters above the ground.

Wind speed above this elevation, in the area of the wind turbine rotor, is then calculated using established modeling relationships. In one study (van den Berg, 2004) it was determined that the wind speeds at the hub at night were up to 2.6 times higher than modeled.

Subsequently, it was found that noise levels were 15 dB higher than anticipated.

Why is wind turbine noise more annoying than other noise, why do they sometimes make a thumping sound and what can be done about it?

P.12-13 "Rhythmic modulation of noise, especially low frequency noise, has been found to be more annoying than steady noise (Bradley, 1994; Holmberg et al., 1997).

One form of rhythmic modulation of aerodynamic noise that can be noticeable very near to a wind turbine is a distance-to-blade effect.

To a receptor on the ground in front of the wind turbine, the detected blade noise is loudest as the blade passes, and quietest when the blade is at the top of its rotation. For a modern 3-blade turbine, this distance-to-blade effect can cause a pulsing of the blade noise at about once per second (1 Hz).

On the ground, about 500 feet directly downwind from the turbine, the distance-to-blade can cause a difference in sound pressure of about 2 dB between the tip of the blade at its farthest point and the tip of the blade at its nearest point (48 meter blades, 70 meter tower). Figure 5 demonstrates why the loudness of blade noise (aerodynamic noise) pulses as the distance-to-blade varies for individuals close to a turbine.

If the receptor is 500 feet from the turbine base, in line with the blade rotation or up to 60° off line, the difference in sound pressure from the tip of the blade at its farthest and nearest point can be about 4-5 dB, an audible difference.

The tip travels faster than the rest of the blade and is closer to (and then farther away from) the receptor than other parts of the blade. As a result, noise from other parts of the blade will be modulated less than noise from the tip.

Further, blade design can also affect the noise signature of a blade.

The distance-to-blade effect diminishes as receptor distance increases because the relative difference in distance from the receptor to the top or to the bottom of the blade becomes smaller. Thus, moving away from the tower, distance-to-blade noise gradually appears to be more steady.

Another source of rhythmic modulation may occur if the wind through the rotor is not uniform. Blade angle, or pitch, is adjusted for different wind speeds to maximize power and to minimize noise. A blade angle that is not properly tuned to the wind speed (or wind direction) will make more noise than a properly tuned blade.

Horizontal layers with different wind speeds or directions can form in the atmosphere. This wind condition is
called shear. If the winds at the top and bottom of the blade rotation are different, blade noise will vary between the top and bottom of blade rotation, causing modulation of aerodynamic noise.

This noise, associated with the blades passing through areas of different air-wind speeds, has been called aerodynamic modulation and is demonstrated in Figure 5. [above]

In some terrains and under some atmospheric conditions wind aloft, near the top of the wind turbine, can be moving faster than wind near the ground.

Wind turbulence or even wakes from adjacent turbines can create non-uniform wind conditions as well.

As a result of aerodynamic modulation a rhythmic noise pattern or pulsing will occur as each blade passes through areas with different wind speed.

Furthermore, additional noise, or thumping, may occur as each blade passes through the transition between different wind speed (or wind direction) areas.

What is wind shear, what does it have to do with turbine noise being louder at night, and why are levels of wind turbine noise often underestimated?

P.13- Concise, technical description of wind shear, turbine noise at night, and calculation of noise preditictions.

Why does the noise from multiple turbines seem louder and why does it sometimes seem to have a beat or pulse?

P.14- "The noise from multiple turbines similarly distant from a residence can be noticeably louder than a lone turbine simply through the addition of multiple noise sources.

Under steady wind conditions noise from a wind turbine farm may be greater than noise from the nearest turbine due to synchrony between noise from more than one turbine (van den Berg, 2005).

Furthermore, if the dominant frequencies (including aerodynamic modulation) of different turbines vary by small amounts, an audible beat or dissonance may be heard when wind conditions are stable."

What is wind turbine shadow flicker, how long can it last, and why is it a problem?

P.14 Rhythmic light flicker from the blades of a wind turbine casting intermittent shadows has
been reported to be annoying in many locations (NRC, 2007; Large Wind Turbine Citizens Committee, 2008). (Note: Flashing light at frequencies around 1 Hz is too slow to trigger an epileptic response.) [Note from the BPWI Research Nerd: Read more about epilepsy and wind turbine shadow flicker clicking here]

Modeling conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health suggests that a receptor 300 meters perpendicular to, and in the shadow of the blades of a wind turbine, can be in the flicker shadow of the rotating blade for almost 11⁄2 hour a day.

At this distance a blade may completely obscure the sun each time it passes between the receptor and the sun.

What minimum setback will prevent shadow flicker on a home?

With current wind turbine designs, flicker should not be an issue at distances over 10 rotational diameters (~1000 meters or 1 km (0.6 mi) for most current wind turbines).

This distance has been recommended by the Wind Energy Handbook (Burton et al., 2001) as a minimum setback distance in directions that flicker may occur, and has been noted in the Bent Tree Permit Application (WPL, 2008).

Shadow flicker is a potential issue in the mornings and evenings, when turbine noise may be masked by ambient sounds.

While low frequency noise is typically an issue indoors, shadow flicker can be an issue both indoors and outdoors when the sun is low in the sky. Therefore, shadow flicker may be an issue in locations other than the home.

Ireland recommends wind turbines setbacks of at least 300 meters from a road to decrease driver distraction (Michigan State University, 2004). The NRC (2007) recommends that shadow flicker is addressed during the preliminary planning stages of a wind turbine project.

[PART TWO TO COME]

Click on the image below to see what wind turbine shadow flicker looks like:

Some Columbia County Residents Question Wind Farm Project

Proposal Goes To Public Service Commission In July

[Click here to read at source]

CAMBRIA, Wis. -- A proposal to build a large-scale wind farm in Columbia County is being questioned by some of the same people who first supported it.

The project set to begin building in mid-2010 would install more than 90 wind turbines throughout the townships of Randolph, Scott and Cambria.

But dozens of residents of those communities gathered Tuesday night for a special meeting, where many expressed their concern about the wind turbine project and the negotiations between the power companies and some township of Randolph board members.

The more Gary Steinich learns about the two wind turbines soon to be installed in his field, he said the more he regrets signing on.

"We're not against the wind towers. We're against having them this close to people's homes," Steinich said.

The Steinichs and other neighbors are asking their town board to review the proposed wind farm project, and they're asking the Columbia County district attorney to investigate a possible conflict of interest involving two town board members. [Click on image below to watch Madison Channel 3 News story] 

"If this process goes through and their wind farms are developed also, (they've) worked essentially in (their) best interest to do it," said resident Scott Chase, who wants an investigation.

Town of Randolph Chairman David Hughes supports the proposal and said a wind turbine will go up, but not on his property."I was involved with another company, it's called E-Wind, but I'll have the papers in my hand tomorrow selling that land to my son. I originally was planning to sell it to him in three years anyway,"Hughes said.

Steinich said he's concerned that the six-year-old project keeps changing."They want to extend the term of the lease from 30 years to 40 years now," Steinich said.

We Energies in Milwaukee said that until a final decision is made in July, it's willing to make changes."The project has changed a bit because we did inherit it from Florida Power and Light, and since we've acquired that we've held open houses (and) gone door to door," said Barry McNulty, spokesman for We Energies. "We certainly want to hear and listen to what they have to say so hopefully we improve upon the project.

"Regardless of the outcome, Steinich said he is worried most about neighbors who didn't have a say in the project."They bought that farmland with the intentions that they were never going to run into anything like this," Steinich said.

Some residents concerned about conflicts of interest said that each landowner who agrees to have wind turbines installed gets some money, reportedly up to $6,000.

A final decision on the proposal will come on July 13 when it goes to the Public Service Commission.

Some residents also said they have health concerns about living near wind farms. They said their research indicates that wind turbines, specifically the noise they emit, lead to dizziness, nausea and other health complications. But We Energies said there are no proven studies to support that.

NOTE FROM THE BPWI RESEARCH NERD: Click on the image below to see what PSC-approved setbacks look like in our state. This is what residents in the Towns of Randolph and Scott can look forward to. This video was shot in the Butler Ridge wind farm on May 2nd, 2009 near Iron Ridge, Wisconsin.