Better Plan: The Trouble With Industrial Wind Farms in Wisconsin

The Public Service Commission is now accepting public comments on this proposed project, its setbacks, noise limits, and other concerns.

You can post your comment to the PSC by CLICKING HERE

You can also view the entire docket for the Glacier Hills Project at the PSC website [CLICK HERE]

Enter docket number 6630-CE-302 in the boxes and click "GO"

Scroll down to read selected public comments from this project. We will be adding them as they become available.

Each red square surrounding by a yellow circle in the image above shows a home of a non-participating resident in the proposed Glacier Hills Wind Farm. [Download the full- sized map by clicking here]

The yellow circle that surrounds it is the 1000 foot setback proposed by the developer. The project is located in Columbia County, about 50 miles northeast of Madison in the Towns of Randolph and Scott. [scroll to previous post to see detail images of the project]

Recent scientific and medical reports find 2640 feet to be the minimum setback beyond which problems with noise and shadow flicker are not a major concern. However, many residents now living amid 400 foot turbines in our state are recommending setbacks that are even further from homes.

Our hope is the Public Service Commission will reconsider the 1000 foot setback and prevent the problems that plague many residents in the PSC-approved wind farms of Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties.

RECENT PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE GLACIER HILLS DOCKET:

From a doctor:

It is absolutely clinically irresponsible to allow turbine setbacks of 1000 feet from homes. Abundant clinical research demonstrates that setbacks should be a minimum of 2 km.

Nina Pierpont, MD, PhD

Malone, NY

From a resident of the Invenergy Forward Energy Wind Farm:

My name is Larry Wunsch.

I am sure you are going to read a lot of comments about how wind farms will be good for Wisconsin.

When I hear people having a conversation about how great they are I ask them "Do you live in a wind farm"?

The answer is always no. I live in a wind farm and I have a wind turbine 1100 feet from my home.

This mechanical device along with other wind turbines has taken away a quality of my life.

I had conerns early on with the PSC approved wind farm that I now live in but those concerns went unheard.

Go to YouTube ([Click here to see] Shadow Flicker in Byron)and see for yourself what I go through.

I would hope that the PSC staff and commissioners would have been educated to the negative effects when placing a wind turbine so close to a residence, but then again, I don't think anyone from the PSC lives in a wind farm.

You can find all kinds of data about wind farms but nothing should override the testimony of those who live in a wind farm.

There are a number of homes for sale in the wind farm where I live. They have been for sale for over a year and a half.

Try to tell me that wind turbines don't affect property values. We asked for a propery value protection plan early on in the project which was not unreasonable to ask, for but that was denied.

History, is always the best teacher

Larry Wunsch

Brownsville, Wisconsin

From another resident of the Invenergy wind farm:

I live on the northern edge of the 86 wind turbines that are called the "Forward Energy" project in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties.

These turbines stand 400 feet tall with setbacks from homes of non-participating owners being at 1,000 feet.

That distance is not enough, it is my opinion that 2,000 feet or more should be the setback.

We have had and continue to have complaints from innocent victims of irresponsible placement of the turbines.

The complaints include noise issues, shadow flicker, and headaches.

A number of my friends and others having been trying to sell their homes, with nobody showing any interest because of the turbines.

These hard-working Americans have all been screwed by this project.

Setbacks need to be responsible and determined not by the developer, but by local residents and local governing bodies.

Curt Kindschuh

Brownsville, Wisconsin

From a retired nurse:

Setbacks of 1000 foot from residences and work places are not adequate.

Children live in these homes and if even some of these children experience sleepless nights or other health issues it will be a very cruel experiment.

People are the reason for the need for renewable power. We can not abuse one group of people for the betterment of the rest.

Joan Mitchell

Brodhead, Wisconsin

Filed July 31,2009:

I would like to file a comment about the Glacial Hills Wind Project, Docket no. 6630-CE–302.

I have been working in the areas of land preservation and natural area restoration, prairies, woodlands, and wetlands since 1992, and the scope and scale of an industrial wind generating facility’s potential negative impacts, such as the proposed Glacial Hills Wind Project, are alarming.

Ninety 2.3MW (500 foot tall?) industrial wind turbines, covering an area of 17,300 acres, using an outdated safety setback of 1,000 feet from peoples’ homes, is an excessive taking of any community’s health, safety, and welfare for the benefit of a corporation gambling on an intermittent generating resource.

The PSCW should deny the CPCN for this WEPCO/WE Energies Glacier Hills project (6630) until there is thorough scientific proof that the siting of the 2.3MW wind turbines will cause no harm to those people forced to live in or near the proposed facility.

The Wisconsin Wind Resource Assessment Program (WRAP) Final Report was prepared in part for WEPCO, so they should be well aware that the report states under Figures, pg.2:

“Figure 4 illustrates the diurnal wind speed patterns at the 40 meter level for all sites. As shown in the figure, the diurnal wind speed patterns are similar at all 14 sites. (Including monitoring station site #414 in DeForest) The wind speeds are highest at midday and again late at night to early morning.”

This means that the proposed facility would have a direct impact on peoples’ sleep, but would miss peak energy demand periods.

Human health and safety, like a healthy environment, requires limiting the number and duration of negative impacts.

What will be the negative impacts of the Glacier Hills project on people, wildlife, and the environment?

Loss of sleep and quality of life, if one talks to residents in PSC approved wind projects in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties, fragmented wildlife habitat with overall reduced quality of habitat, and an extensive area, 17,300 acres – 27 square miles of land – hot wired to sporadic electrical generators.

The PSCW needs to learn from its past 1,000 foot setback mistakes, which have created such problems for residents in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. The lack of protection for citizens and their homes, surrounding the industrial wind industry, needs to be addressed by everyone in government, before more people are hurt.

Kevin A. Kawula

Filed July 31, 2009:

Hi,

I would like to relate my personal encounter with a wind turbine.

About two years ago to experience the sounds of wind turbines I drove my wife's convertiblle on a sunny afternoon west to the 300' tall turbines near Monford WI.

I found one located to the west of a quiet side road. I just relaxed, and watched, and listened. The wind was very soft. The blades stopped, and started. The only sound was the hydraulics that seemed to change the pitch of the blades, and change the direction of the hub of the turbine. The sun was getting lower, and I wanted to start home before the bugs came out. I wanted to avoid a car washing at home.

On the drive home I experienced an aura of an epileptic seizure. I pulled off the road to park. All the time hoping the episode would not progress.

I have epilepsy. An aura happens to me before I could go into having a grand mal seizure. I take 1000 mg of Depakote per day. I have not had any problems for years, or any since that afternoon.

I feel this episode was brought on from parking to the east of the turbine in the afternoon. I was in the shadow of the blades. At the time I had no idea that the moving shadow could cause problems.

If I knew of this problem I would never parked in the shadow. To drive in Wisconsin I believe a person must be seizure free for six months.

At a Town meeting I asked a wind turbine sales person about the shadow flash if his turbines were only 1000' from homes. He told me his company would be glad to buy shades for peoples homes. I replied what if people would like to go outside?

We own 56 acres. About 17 years ago we built a very energy efficent home. I'm glad I investigated, and experienced large wind turbines for myself. It took me less than 7 hours on a calm day to find out it would mean an end to living in the home we built if was in the shadow of a large wind turbine.

I don't want to be forced to move.

Thanks,

Dave Olsen

Evansville, Wisconsin

Filed July 31 2009

Please FULLY research the wind turbine issue before making your decision. Numerous cases around the world of hazardous health and safety issues connected with wind turbines have been reported.

If for one moment the participants of the proposed wind project took the $ sign out of the picture, this would be an entirely different battle. It's now a battle which has divided the community I have been a part of for 32 years.

A divide I no longer want to be a part of. The community was made of a safe, traditional, family-orientated, conscientious group of people.

At this point, it's a community divided by greed originating from the wind turbine $. This community is NOT the only and best place in the state of WI for this project. The rural landscape will diminish forever if the project goes through.

I refuse to raise my children in an environment that can be arguably safe. Generation after generation of families stay in the township of Randolph and Scott area for many reasons: safety, traditionalism, family-orientated, beautiful landscape.

The wind turbines are definitely a reason to leave.

PLEASE DON'T RUIN THE COMMUNITY I LOVE WITH AGREEING TO 90+ ELECTRICAL WIND GENERATORS.

I completely understand your position in meeting government statutes and regulations, but please consider this---Would you expose your children or grandchildren as guinea pigs in a proven unsafe environment? I WON"T!!!

Thanks for your consideration

Melanie D. Wiersma

Friesland, Wisconsin