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Local News

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Can turbines generate health problems?
Allstate Insurance: Jeff Shingler
By LOU WILIN

STAFF WRITER

Living close to wind turbines can hurt your peace of mind, job performance and health, according to some health experts and researchers.

"If you're within a mile, you're asking for trouble," said Alex Salt, an otolaryngology professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

Air Energy TCI, a company which plans to erect wind turbines between Arcadia, Fostoria and New Riegel, would locate some within one-third of a mile of a home, the company's development manager, Rory Cantwell, said Tuesday. He said Air Energy's standard exceeds the state standard by more than 500 feet.

"(Wind turbines) don't emit enough noise to do any permanent damage," said Brett O'Connor, operations director for TCI Renewables in North America, the parent corporation of Air Energy. "All thoroughly peer-reviewed, properly conducted scientific analysis has concluded that there is no impact to human health."

But Salt, who has studied the ear for 37 years, said wind turbines can, and do, cause some people problems. He has company.

In her book, "Wind Turbine Syndrome," Dr. Nina Pierpont of Malone, N.Y., tells about some neighbors of wind turbines experiencing ear and health problems.

Sleep disturbance, memory and concentration problems, headaches, dizziness and nausea, and ringing or buzzing in the ears are among their troubles, Pierpont said. Those problems can lead to further health deterioration, said Pierpont and Salt: high blood pressure and heart palpitations.

"There are really distinct effects on susceptible people," Pierpont said. "You just can't function in this. It's like you're wading through mud mentally. You're sick."

Susceptible are those older than 50; those with migraine disorder, motion sensitivity, and existing inner ear damage from, say, exposure to industrial or military noise; and toddlers and early school-age children, she said.

Wind turbines produce low-frequency sounds, which the industry says cause no trouble because people do not hear them.

"That's absolutely false," Salt said. "The ear is designed so you don't hear low-frequency sounds, but it isn't insensitive to them. Those sounds are still going in and they are still being transfused. Even though you don't hear it, it wakes you up."

Salt said people over time have adapted to not notice their own body's low-frequency sounds, like breathing and heartbeat. But when it comes to wind turbine sounds, sooner or later the brain notices they come from outside the body, and that's when the trouble starts, Salt said.

For some, the trouble starts within a few weeks. For others, it happens immediately.

"People have difficulty describing the problem they're having. It's not a sound you're hearing. It's an uncomfortable feeling in your ears," Salt said. "It's a perceiving. You're not hearing. It's a fullness or a stuffiness in your ear."

"It's an odd feeling," he said. "It's close to motion sickness."

Unfortunately, by the time residents experience problems, the wind farm has set up shop and enlisting its help is difficult, said Carmen Krogh, a board member for the Society for Wind Vigilance in Killaloe, Ontario. Wind turbines are more pervasive in Ontario than in Ohio.

"Once the turbines are established, it's hard to get any kind of resolution to health troubles," she said.

The health of those affected can deteriorate while they battle for years with a wind turbine company, Krogh said. Some people have abandoned their homes, rented elsewhere or moved in with a relative, she said.

Online: www.windturbinesyndrome.com www.windvigilance.com www.tcirenewables.com Wilin: 419-427-8413 Send an e-mail to Lou Wilin


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15 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
maria coffman wrote:
wind turbines
“ How close are they to putting the wind turbines in the area? Are the people around there aware of what's going on? We fought off a wind company where we live in western Ohio. Turbines are bad news for people who have no choice but to live arond them. There are hundreds of them going up in Van Wert & Paulding counties. They are so inefficient and are being partially paid for by our tax dollars with cash grants from the US Treasurey!! Green energy is such a joke! Wind energy is not free! Obama and another part of his liberal, controlling agenda!! People in this area need to get educated and start talking about this issue before it's too late!! ”
Dr Sarah Laurie wrote:
adverse health effects of wind turbines
“ Dear Editor, thank you for publicising this important and growing public health problem which is occurring globally, wherever there are operating turbines. There are new rural residents being impacted all the time in Australia, as new turbine developments come on line. I have now interviewed over 80 Australian residents who have lived, worked or visited wind turbine facilities, some of them smaller older turbines, some only two turbines, some large like Waubra (128 turbines) but all the affected people getting exactly the same symptoms now described by many different medical practitioners (Dr Harry, Dr Iser, Dr Pierpont, Professor McMurtry, and myself). Turbine hosts are now contacting me, because they get sick too, and so do their families. They are often angry that they too have been lied to by the wind developers about "no health impacts" and often feel very ashamed at what has happened to their formerly close knit rural community, especially if their neighbours have become seriously unwell. Turbines need to be safely sited, and we don't know what is "safe" until the proper independent research is done, as advocated by many of us working in the field. The Waubra Foundation is currently advocating 10km as a precautionary distance, as we are finding that some people are getting symptoms out to that distance, which correlate directly with turbine activity, and because the lowest frequency sound and vibration waves can travel for many kilometres, through both the ground and the air.
Dr Sarah Laurie
Medical Director
Waubra Foundation
www.waubrafoundation.com.au
”
taxpayer wrote:
Wind
“ Sit on the pot to long and there is a chance of a health problem. Get over yourselves and get a life people. ”
RB wrote:
Wind Turbines
“ Please share these valid facts and opinions in letters to the editor. Many people read them. ”
Helen Parker, Ph.D. wrote:
Health Impacts of Wind Turbines
“ Good Article - Thank You! It's also crucial to appreciate the health impacts of the IWT's assault on mental health and wellbeing. The effect of the turbine noise (whether 'heard' as unnatural, percussive, threatening, annoying - or felt as infrasound, consciously or unconsciously) ..... the negative effect of turbine noise on mental health is direct and powerful.
-Consider the hypersensitivity of the autistic child. Would you choose to bombard that child with additive, strident, unpredictable, chronic, aversive stimuli just because you can?
-How many people who have chosen to live in semi-rural environments (now targeted for IWT installations) have a similar, albeit less radical, sensitivity to noise? How many chose to locate where their homes are simple shelters welcoming the outside in, for whom the idea of 'sound mitigation' from turbine noise fairly equals life in a padded cell? For what purpose?
-Imagine what our classmates experienced in the hellhole of Vietnam? The baggage returning with our Veterans from the Middle East. You've heard of PTSD: "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Do you know that the symptoms include "intense psychological distress or physiological reactivity [heightened sensitivity] when the person is exposed to triggering events that resemble or symbolize an aspect of the traumatic event"? Think of what the throbbing drone of the turbines bring back to a veteran's cellular storage of fear/terror/anxiety. Would you want it brought back, had you experienced it - once again up close and within earshot, but this time at home, where you had invested all that you had for your retirement years, believing you were now out of the war zone and safe?
-Beam yourself into the shoes of those with a history of migraine headaches, now exacerbated by the unpredictable whims of the wind. Do we dare entertain an image of what our neighbors suffer when these debilitating headaches now come (still) unpredictably but (now) exacerbated by these towers put up without public input (as in Falmouth, MA) or without informed public or political process (as throughout the world)?
-Add in the psychological distress engendered by the physiological destabilization which Pierpont describes with respect to balance mechanisms, nausea, tinnitus, vertigo, anxiety, panic attacks, memory and concentration loss.
-Add in the victims' helplessness to effect change, betrayal by elected representatives whom we count on to protect our health and well-being, who now stonewall any consideration of our objective outrage of the clear torture waged on our persons.
-Add in the demands on our persons to fight these installations, on-goingly, with lives given over to complaint protocols, sound measurements, letters to representatives, discouraging consultations with group-hired attorneys, a desire to re-frame every social encounter either to score a point or to pretend this isn't the center of your life.
DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! FIGHT BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
”
Ripped Off wrote:
Wind Farms
“ The arrogance of the agricultural community that is "cashing in", by leasing their property to the Canadian wind farm company, is revolting. Residents that are unfortunate enough to live by the huge turbines, and will not be compensated) have no choice, but to "drive down the road". We will be rewarded by the noise, vibration, flickering shadows motion sickness, just to mention a few, for the privilege. We will also see reduced value to our homes and property.
The township roads will deteriorate with the large equipment and supplies during the construction and maintenance.
Our Federal, State, County and local township governments will make "deals" to take a "Payment in Lieu of taxes" to locate in the area.
The local Economic Development representatives are selling the project as a job creation haven. The jobs will only be temporary, during the construction phase. Then all that will remain will be the empty, foreclosed residential homes--and oh---the HUGE TURBINES.
SIGNED-RIPPED OFF IN BIGLICK TOWNSHIP
”
RB wrote:
Turbines cause health problems
“ If these landowners are willing to sell their health for a few thousand dollars, go ahead. But others living near should not have to be subjected to it.
Also, landowners, what do you think will happen when the stimulus money runs out? This area will not produce efficient energy from wind.
”
Ben Wright wrote:
Lets just close our eyes and minds..
“ Like we do for high-voltage wires, cell-phones, and coal emissions. After all, all these have be 'proven' to cause health problems and yet big business and our government leaders have told us otherwise and many have drank from that Kool-aide! Even our soon to be Congressman, Bob Latta, has said a certain amount of pollution is acceptable. ”
Jed free wrote:
Wind Turbines...............
“ I MUST find a way to fleece you naive sheep who buy into Wind Farms.

While I am working on that - enjoy your inefficient, invasive, flickering, must be subsidised because they are a scam, eyesores.....suckers!
”
matt wrote:
Video
“ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbIe0iUtelQ&feature=related

Nice Video showing "Flicker" from a Turbine.
”
D W wrote:
Wind turbine health impact
“ Too many doctors and researchers from too many countries, including the US, have determined that wind turbines DO cause bad health effects. They should not be ignored. If people getting the money, obviously "taxpayer," want to live near them, that is their choice, but it should not be forced upon their neighbors. ”
matt wrote:
A few issues
“ Removal - Who will be responsible for the removal of these units if the company goes under or better more efficient technolgy comes along in 10 or 20 years? They require a suprising amount of maintenance and upkeep. An empty warehouse is not so obvious as 300 foot towers.

Just a thought.

”
TheVoice wrote:
Chance
“ If there is even a small chance that these wind turbines can cause health problems, they should not be built till a way is found to make them safe for the people who must live near them or scientic studies show that their is not a health problem.Just How I See It. ”
Becky wrote:
Wind Turbines
“ Is there a map of the exact locations of where they are being located? I am concerned also for property values. ”
taxpayer wrote:
health with wind turbines
“ These health experts need to seek help. They say that a wind turbine will affect my peace of mind, job performance and health. They are the ones we need to wonder about. THEY ARE NUTS. On the other hand maybe they are right. If the turbines save and produce energy as they will. The land owners on which they are installed will be affected by the way the revenue is coming in from the turbines, so it will affect their peace of mind by not knowing what they are going to do with that money. And with all that money coming in they won't have to work hard so the job performance will suffer. And it will also cause them to gain weight because they won't be working as hard. And with the money will go out to eat more. Why, those people working at the food places would have to work harder and I could keep going. Those Health Experts are NUT CASES. ”
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Neighbors react

Residents in Findlay's Dold subdivision say they are worried following an alleged abduction attempt Tuesday.

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    News Briefs Abduction attempt reported Tuesday
    The Hancock County Sheriff's Office is investigating an alleged abduction attempt in a western Findlay subdivision.

    A sheriff's deputy said he was called to Dold Drive, near Liberty-Benton High School, just before 5 p.m. Tuesday after a girl reported a suspicious man had followed her and eventually chased her.

    The girl was able to get away without being harmed.

    Details are still preliminary, but officials said the man was described as being about 6 feet tall with an average build. He looked to be in his 60s and had red hair, deputies said.

    Deputies searching the area found no one matching that description.


    Man sentenced for two felonies
    A Findlay man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for two felony convictions.

    Brett M. Ardelean, 21, trespassed at 1112 Crystal Ave. in Findlay, when the resident was present, to commit a theft on Dec. 9.

    Ardelean also admitted concealing a .40-caliber handgun in the city on Oct. 22.

    The burglary charge is a second-degree felony, and the carrying a concealed weapon charge is a fourth-degree felony.

    Hancock County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Niemeyer sentenced Ardelean on Monday to serve four years in prison for the burglary conviction and 11 months for the weapon violation.

    The gun was forfeited to the Findlay Police Department, Prosecutor Mark Miller said.


    Continental man arrested for holdup
    OTTAWA -- A Continental man has been arrested for an armed robbery at an Ottawa tobacco shop.

    Maurice Harsh II, 24, was charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, for allegedly using a handgun to rob Cut Rate Tobacco, 820 N. Locust St., on Friday.

    A robbery that same day in Defiance may have been committed by the same individual, Assistant Putnam County Prosecutor Todd Schroeder said.

    Harsh is being held on $100,000 bond and requested a court-appointed attorney, Schroeder said.

    Police said the robber in Ottawa escaped with an undetermined amount of money and tobacco items valued at $134.

    Surveillance cameras videotaped the holdup.


    Ottawa man gets 5-year sentence
    OTTAWA -- An Ottawa man was sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing a Columbus Grove resident in the abdomen.

    Joshua A. Morman, 41, was convicted of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for stabbing Shawn Ward on Nov. 3 in Columbus Grove.

    Ward did not suffer life-threatening injuries, according to police.

    Morman appeared in Putnam County Common Pleas Court and said he mistakenly believed Ward possessed a knife at the time.

    Putnam County Common Pleas Judge Randall Basinger disputed this claim, and cited five other instances of charges being filed against Morman for threats or violence.

    Morman was credited with 194 days served in jail.


    Lima Ave. crash injures motorist
    A rural Findlay resident was hurt in a two-vehicle crash on Lima Avenue at 4:46 p.m. Monday.

    James Kelley, 24, was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital, which released no information on his condition Tuesday.

    According to the Findlay Police Department, Kelley was driving an Eagle Talon on Byal Avenue when he failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a vehicle traveling on Lima Avenue.

    Police said Kelley's car hit the side of a trailer being pulled by a Chevy truck driven by Kyle Heitmeyer, 27, of Findlay.

    Kelley was cited for failing to yield from a stop sign and having a suspended license.

    The Findlay Fire Department assisted at the scene.


    Hydrant flushing
    The Findlay Water Distribution Department will be flushing hydrants today from the Blanchard River south to West Hobart Avenue, from South Main Street west to the corporation limit, from West Edgar Avenue south to the corporation limit, and from South Main Street west to Western Avenue.


    'Fun with Fossils' topic of program
    Rikki Youngpeter, a Hancock Park District program assistant, will present a program on "Fun with Fossils" at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Discovery Center in Oakwoods Nature Preserve.

    The program is for children 6 to 9 years old with an adult.

    Registration, with a $3 per child fee, is due by Wednesday at the park district office, 1424 E. Main Cross St.

    For more information, call the park district, 419-425-7275.


    Program planned on lily family
    An open house featuring a program on members of the lily family will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Discovery Center in Oakwoods Nature Preserve.

    For more information, call the Hancock Park District office at 419-425-7275.


    Program planned on homeschooling
    "So You Think You Know the Library," a program specifically designed for homeschooling parents, will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 22 in the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library's Lindamood Room.

    Home-school parents are invited to take an in-depth look at the library's resources.

    Registration is not required.