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With appreciation to Jefferson’s Leaning Left

—Calvin Luther Martin, PhD

Lewis County General Hospital, tucked within the sleepy hamlet of Lowville, NY, pop. 3500, would hardly be considered a major medical center. Watertown, nearby and closer to the Tenth Mountain Division’s Fort Drum, has a much more comprehensive and sophisticated hospital.

Google satellite map of Upstate New York

What distinguishes Lewis County Hospital is that it’s in the shadow of Horizon Energy’s Maple Ridge Wind Farm—195, 1.65 MW V82 Vestas, infrasonically pounding away on the Tug Hill Plateau next door—the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi. The turbines went online January 2006.

Google satellite map of Lewis County, NY

Over the years there have been numerous complaints of health problems from people living cheek-by-jowl with the turbines. (See, for instance, “No resident should have to live under such conditions,” along with various YouTube videos.) There is nothing new in this.

What’s new and alarming is that this relatively minor hospital just opened a Balance Center—that is, a clinical center to diagnose vertigo, dizziness, and related inner ear (vestibular) disorders. It’s the first Balance Center north of Syracuse, NY, where there happens to be a medical school.

Lewis County General Hospital, Google satellite map

Why Lowville? The obvious inference being that an extraordinary number of people in the Lowville area are experiencing vestibular (balance) problems.

This leads to the obvious question (obvious to anyone familiar with Nina Pierpont’s research on Wind Turbine Syndrome): Is Horizon’s Maple Ridge Wind Farm, next door, the smoking gun? If it is—and that has yet to be demonstrated—the hospital’s sparkling new Balance Center will become a de facto “peer review” diagnostic center for Wind Turbine Syndrome.

Stay tuned.

Flat Rock Inn surrounded by turbines, Google satellite map

Gordon Yancey, proprietor of the Flat Rock Inn, Tug Hill Plateau (NY)

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“Hospital shows off balance center: Lewis County General Hospital introduces new $100K facility”

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—Chelsea Craddock, Watertown Daily Times (5/16/10)

Kicking off Community Health Awareness Day on Saturday, Lewis County General Hospital introduced the first Balance Center north of Syracuse.

The $100,000 Center has equipment to diagnose issues stemming from vertigo, imbalance and traumatic brain injury. The new equipment can perform comprehensive patient evaluations by checking inner ear functions to test balance. It also can test patients’ abilities to walk on stairs or step off a curb correctly. . . .

“We expect to be busy fairly quickly,” said Eric R. Burch, chief executive officer of the hospital.

Mr. Burch said the idea of a Balance Center came about when various ear, nose and throat specialists [otolaryngologists] in the Syracuse and Utica areas mentioned they were getting a lot of patients from the North Country. He said specialists in Utica plan to refer up to seven patients a week to the new Center. . . .

Randy L. Lehman, director of Rehabilitation Services, said he expects the equipment to improve the quality of life for those in the North Country who may suffer from balance problems. . . .