LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]



Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Vestas attempt to avoid recommended low-frequency noise measurement 

Credit:  28-29 March 2012, European Platform Against Windfarms, Waubra Foundation, and North American Platform Against Windpower ~~

In a submission to the government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, world-leading wind turbine manufacturer Vestas asked to drop the requirement for measuring emissions of low frequency noise (LFN), despite scientific studies indicating that they have adverse effects on the health of neighbours. This flies in the face of a new Danish policy, announced March 26th, aiming at improving the ethics of exporting companies, e.g. on human rights. Denmark’s Wind Turbine regulations recognise that LFN can be a health problem.

The draft windfarm guidelines proposed by concerned officials in NSW require that LFN emitted by wind turbines be measured. But in a letter to them dated March 14th, Vestas Australian Wind Technology Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Danish multinational Vestas, “suggests the removal of the requirement to measure low frequency noise from the Draft Guidelines”. Actually, they go as far as proposing the removal of the whole section on health: “Ideally, the entirety of Section 1.3 (e) should be deleted” (1).

Furthermore, the letter’s author Mr McAlpine admits that “the existing and well validated industry standard models for acoustic propagation are NOT designed to deal with frequencies at the low end of the audible spectrum”. For the Waubra Foundation, this is a smoking gun: “to date, infrasound and LFN (ILFN) have been ignored altogether, and Vestas obviously wants to keep the issue buried”.

Dr Sarah Laurie, the Foundation’s CEO, explains: “Why are Vestas suggesting to remove the requirement to measure low frequency noise, when there is evidence that wind turbines emit ILFN which correlate with people’s serious health problems (2,3), and that larger turbines emit even more at these frequencies (4)? Why is this technology being imposed upon the global community while ignoring the health effects of long term exposure to ILFN emitted by these machines?” She adds: “Vestas claim their turbines are safe, but where is the data that proves it? – There is none. Yet, all the actual clinical data collected by physicians and reported by windfarm neighbours shows that there are some very serious impacts on health, which worsen over time (5).”

Dr Laurie further points out that, at a windfarm in Waterloo, South Australia, consisting of 37 × 3MW Vestas wind turbines, a study revealed that 70% of the population living within 5km reported being “negatively affected” by the noise (6). The Waubra Foundation knows residents living up to 5km away from wind farms who have had to leave their homes because of growing health problems. “Residents at Waterloo living out to 10km report awakening in the middle of the night ‘in a panicked state’, a symptom experienced by many windfarm neighbours worldwide, apparently linked to inaudible noise, ear pressure, and body vibrations related to wind turbine exposure.”

Vestas are trying to hide other impacts as well, notes Mark Duchamp of EPAW. “Their letter proposes to eliminate the NSW 2km setback, as well as compensation for losses in property values, and the whole section on blade throw”.

People’s health and well-being is in serious danger when industrial lobbies are imposing their conditions to elected officials, opines Sherri Lange, of NA-PAW. “Much the same is happening in North America, where the health issue has been pushed under the carpet. This will cost taxpayers dearly, for ultimately they will have to pay for all the damage done. Criminal charges may even be laid against decision-makers, for knowingly doing harm to health and life.”

Contact:

Dr Sarah Laurie + 61 439 865 914 (Australia)
CEO, Waubra Foundation
sarah@waubrafoundation.com.au

Mark Duchamp +34 693 643 736 (Spain) Skype: mark.duchamp
Executive Director, EPAW
www.epaw.org
save.the.eagles@gmail.com

Sherri Lange +1 416 567 5115 (Canada)
CEO, NA-PAW
www.na-paw.org
kodaisl@rogers.com

References:

1) – Vestas submission to NSW Dept of Planning: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=pl0fPPM1-18%3D

2) – Stephen Ambrose and Robert Rand “The Bruce McPherson Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise Study” Falmouth, December, 2011 www.wind-watch.org/documents/bruce-mcpherson-infrasound-and-low-frequency-noise-study/

3) – Steven Cooper, “Review of Draft NSW guidelines” www.wind-watch.org/documents/review-of-nsw-draft-wind-farm-guidelines/

4) – Moller & Pedersen, renowned acousticians from the University of Aarlborg “Low Frequency Noise from Large Turbines” J Acoustical Society America 2011 129: 3727 – 3744: www.wind-watch.org/documents/low-frequency-noise-from-large-wind-turbines-2/

5) – Physicians include Dr Amanda Harry (UK, 2003), Dr David Iser (Australia, 2004) , Dr Nina Pierpont (USA, 2009), Professor Robert McMurtry (Canada, 2010), Dr Michael Nissenbaum (USA, 2010), Dr Sarah Laurie (Australia, 2011), material is available from the following websites: www.windturbinesyndrome.com/wind-turbine-syndrome/article-archive/, www.windvigilance.com, www.waubrafoundation.com.au, and www.wind-watch.org

6) – Zhenhua Wang, survey conducted on wind farm noise at the Waterloo wind farm
http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/evaluation-of-wind-farm-noise-policies-in-south-australia/

Source:  28-29 March 2012, European Platform Against Windfarms, Waubra Foundation, and North American Platform Against Windpower

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon