Pentwater area residents should challenge wind farm 

As is obvious by now, there is a huge division between the people in Riverton Township on the issue of the Consumers Energy wind farm project, Lake Winds Energy Park.

What should also be obvious, or at least well-known by now, is the fact that some of the people involved in zoning, planning and other legalities necessary for Consumers Energy to complete this project are involved in a huge conflict of interest.

Several members of the county board and the township signed easements and have received, and will continue to receive, ongoing payments from Consumers Energy for participating in the project.

These easements include a clause stating that the person signing will not speak against, slow the process of, or interfere in anyway with the processes involved in the Consumers Energy wind farm project – or ANY wind farm project for that matter.

If this were happening in the lake or even on a state or federal level, people would be screaming for investigations.

All this considered, there should be a moratorium while someone “higher up” looks into the legality of the entire process of obtaining easements, zoning and airport clearance thus far, considering the conflict of interest by both county and township officials.

What about the money and jobs they promised would come into the community? Other areas that have these wind farms in place have seen property values plummet to the point where homes have been abandoned in order to escape the vibrations and noise, because the homes could not be sold.

They will not be building the turbines in Michigan, as was originally alleged; and they will be bringing in trained Consumers Energy employees to do the work. There will be few if any full-time or long term jobs for our residents.

What about the fact that there are proven, documented severe health problems (migraines, seizures, nausea, panic) caused by the sub-audible vibrations caused by these turbines to any persons living within a 1.5 to 2 mile radius of each turbine?

When asked, all their representatives say is that the acoustic studies are “in the works” or “pending” and then go back to their talk of “low decibels” and how these turbines will be “not much louder than normal conversation.” They will not even discuss what is already known by audiologists and psychologists as “wind turbine syndrome.”

Shouldn’t these “acoustic” studies have been completed before they obtained the rights to build these nearly 500-foot-tall towers so close to so many homes?

How many people want to listen to a repetitive sound as loud as “a normal conversation” 24 hours a day in their home or yard where they are now used to almost “complete” quiet?

All anyone has to do is look up “wind farms” online to see numerous videos, books, documentation by respected audiologists and doctors, and how many U.S and European communities have “died” due to these projects.

I hope these issues will be addressed, and that the people of our community will inform themselves and not just take Consumers Energy at their word without any data to back them up – except of course the same sales information you can find at the Vesta’s websites selling this particular brand of turbine.

Deborah Fruk

Riverton Township resident (near Pentwater)As is obvious by now, there is a huge division between the people in Riverton Township on the issue of the Consumers Energy wind farm project, Lake Winds Energy Park.

What should also be obvious, or at least well-known by now, is the fact that some of the people involved in zoning, planning and other legalities necessary for Consumers Energy to complete this project are involved in a huge conflict of interest.

Several members of the county board and the township signed easements and have received, and will continue to receive, ongoing payments from Consumers Energy for participating in the project.

These easements include a clause stating that the person signing will not speak against, slow the process of, or interfere in anyway with the processes involved in the Consumers Energy wind farm project – or ANY wind farm project for that matter.

If this were happening in the lake or even on a state or federal level, people would be screaming for investigations.

All this considered, there should be a moratorium while someone “higher up” looks into the legality of the entire process of obtaining easements, zoning and airport clearance thus far, considering the conflict of interest by both county and township officials.

What about the money and jobs they promised would come into the community? Other areas that have these wind farms in place have seen property values plummet to the point where homes have been abandoned in order to escape the vibrations and noise, because the homes could not be sold.

They will not be building the turbines in Michigan, as was originally alleged; and they will be bringing in trained Consumers Energy employees to do the work. There will be few if any full-time or long term jobs for our residents.

What about the fact that there are proven, documented severe health problems (migraines, seizures, nausea, panic) caused by the sub-audible vibrations caused by these turbines to any persons living within a 1.5 to 2 mile radius of each turbine?

When asked, all their representatives say is that the acoustic studies are “in the works” or “pending” and then go back to their talk of “low decibels” and how these turbines will be “not much louder than normal conversation.” They will not even discuss what is already known by audiologists and psychologists as “wind turbine syndrome.”

Shouldn’t these “acoustic” studies have been completed before they obtained the rights to build these nearly 500-foot-tall towers so close to so many homes?

How many people want to listen to a repetitive sound as loud as “a normal conversation” 24 hours a day in their home or yard where they are now used to almost “complete” quiet?

All anyone has to do is look up “wind farms” online to see numerous videos, books, documentation by respected audiologists and doctors, and how many U.S and European communities have “died” due to these projects.

I hope these issues will be addressed, and that the people of our community will inform themselves and not just take Consumers Energy at their word without any data to back them up – except of course the same sales information you can find at the Vesta’s websites selling this particular brand of turbine.

Deborah Fruk

Riverton Township resident (near Pentwater)