“We, the People” insist on proper health studies (Mass.)
Jul 13, 2011
Print ArticleEditor’s note: The State of Massachusetts recently announced a study of the health effects of wind turbines. Toward that end, WindWise ~ Massachusetts sent the following documents to the state Dept. of Public Health (DPH) and Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), calling for health studies untainted by Big Wind influence.
The first document, below, is the more comprehensive of the two. The second one, below that, is the cover letter sent to the Commissioner of the DPH and Commissioner of the DEP.
Both documents are well worth reading.
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Document #1
We are acutely aware that “there is ample scientific evidence to conclude that wind turbines cause serious health problems for some people living nearby”1 and thereby of the emergence—and growing potential—for serious public health and safety impacts of wind turbines in Massachusetts, exacerbated by the “rush to wind” and siting wind turbines too close to people.
The right action to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Massachusetts is to invoke the precautionary principle in your final report and to mandate a moratorium on the construction of industrial wind turbines until more research and independent studies have been completed.
When the results of such independent studies are available, there needs to be an appropriate consultative and fair solution developed to solve the problems which have been caused by the currently constructed but unsafely sited turbine developments, which are making people sick.
According to the report from the highly political review of “The Social and Economic Impact of Rural Wind Farms”—which included a review of the adverse health impacts as well—recently held by the [Federal] Senate in Australia, the following recommendation was made:
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government initiate as a matter of priority thorough, adequately resourced epidemiological and laboratory studies of the possible effects of wind farms on human health. This research must engage across industry and community, and include an advisory process representing the range of interests and concerns.”2
In fact, on June 29, 2011 the Umatilla County commissioners in the State of Oregon approved changes to the county’s wind turbine siting rules which require a minimum of a two-mile distance between a home and a wind turbine. . . .
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Document #2
Dear Commissioners Kimmell and Auerbach:
A group of health professionals and representatives of citizen groups last year wrote a letter to Commissioner Auerbach and subsequently attended a meeting with the Commissioner along with two State Representatives. We formally requested a review of public health and safety standards near wind turbines. We expected to be contacted concerning a study and expected to have a seat at the table when study convened. We recently met with Suzanne Condon, Associate Commissioner/Director and Daniel Delaney, Legislative Director at the Department of Public Health.
As health professionals, citizens, representatives of citizen groups and members of a state-wide organization WindWise ~ Massachusetts, we submit this request for your immediate action.
Commissioners of the DEP and DPH are entrusted with the responsibility to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Massachusetts. We are therefore confident that you will enter into evidence the information we have collected, for review by the expert panel.
The additional information found attached to this email includes:
- A catalog listing of over 200 documents containing studies, journal articles, scientific papers, reports, presentations, news articles, personal stories and a listing of videotapes available on the web to watch.
- Additional supporting information which contains an overview and background information.
You will also receive in the mail the above items as well as the following, of which we formally request you make copies available to all members of your expert panel:
- A CD-ROM with all of the materials submitted via email as well as the source documents that have been cataloged.
- Several DVDs with videotaped footage of those living with wind turbines.
- The book: Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural Experiment written by Nina Pierpont, MD, PhD.
We were assured by highly regarded administrators of DPH that the experts chosen for the panel will be totally independent and unbiased, and that no member of the expert panel has ever been paid, or is currently being paid, by the wind energy industry, pro-wind advocacy organizations, wind developers, or any related industries. . . .
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Comment by sue Hobart (Falmouth, Mass.) on 07/21/2011 at 2:40 pm
good luck with that… this is massachusetts … home of the free and the corrupt…oh wait… the very expensive and the corrupt…
All they do is spin and talk and promise and postpone and lie why we suffer… It’s more important that the governor get his washington green lobby merit badge than to protect the people…
been under this trap for a year now and i need out of here…
Comment by Mike McCann (Chicago, Ill) on 07/21/2011 at 6:33 pm
Perhaps the Town of Falmouth should be afforded the opportunity to buy your house at market value, “as if” unimpaired by Wind 1? At least in this manner they can rectify for you the mistake of permitting it so close to your home, and leave you financially whole.
If any number of 49 other neighbors follow suit, the Town can always re-sell the properties, and thereby absorb the losses they caused…or if I am wrong about value impacts, they will get every dollar back upon resale.
It would seem to me that, under the circumstances, submitting a formal offer to sell based on 2 or 3 local appraiser (or Realtor) opinions of value is a reasonable and appropriate attempt to mitigate the damages caused by the turbine proximity, and allow you to relocate to a normal environment.
While it should have been part of the permitting process from the beginning, this is the essence of a fair PVG ~
McCann Appraisal, LLC
Comment by sue Hobart on 07/22/2011 at 10:35 pm
Well in my case it is a privately owned and all for profit turbine and the guy is a multi millionnaire with a lot of lawyers. So far we have not been able to find a lawyer to defend our situation or represent us.
Falmouth and Webb ( the owner of my problem) were in cahoots to buy these 2 turbines at a big discount and did a little serious shadow boxing to get them both purchased and installed.
I can safely assume you are being sarcastic about buying and reselling this property. With a 400 foot set of blades on top of my house the possibility is next to zero.
In the last year and a half there have been more than 20 listings of properties for sale in the area and about 3 actual showings… slim odds.
We have gotten an appraisal and do hope to earn a buy out…but this guy will dance and spend money on lawyers and drag the deal on for as long as he can… It hurts, I hurt, and I may just relieve myself of the burden of living before it’s all over…
There cannot possibly be wind turbines in heaven .
Comment by Mark Cool on 07/23/2011 at 7:22 am
This is a question that gets me riled. I know it’s a question generated out of concern sometimes, curiosity other times but it sounds like judgement to me. My listening hears “c’mon it can’t be that bad? Suck it up, take one for the team”. There is often such disbelief among the questioners that the leadership of Falmouth could make such a colossal mistake. Surely living under a wind turbine and sleeping 4 out of 7 nights a week can’t be that bad? Tax payers generally want to believe their tax dollars are in safe capable hands. As citizens we want to believe the people we elect have our backs when it comes to big decisions that effect our peaceful enjoyment of our homes. I get it! I get that if you who ask “is it really that bad?” and you believe me and my neighbors it means you have to take a look at Falmouth’s powers that be. You have to question authority and your belief in the folks we elected would be in question.
I ask you,really? I mean really? After the high school debacle… Who was checking the checker there? And need I bring up sewer issue? Heavens, what about water quality or the dump? Recently a woman I work with called the dump and asked how much it cost to dump some household items…the man on the phone said “take it to Bourne, it’s free.”. Now there is a statement! Even paid town employees see the folly of town management.
Yet with all these management faux paus tax payers still pull the wool over their eyes. Still we who live under the wind turbines are asked to hush up about the hell we are in…to get over it…to not rock the political boat.
Is it really that bad? It’s sleeping in the basement bad.
Is it really that bad? It’s not wanting to come home bad.
Is it really that bad? It’s not able to use the decks or garden bad.
Is it really that bad? It’s head aches daily bad.
Is it really that bad? It’s dead bats on our deck bad.
Is it really that bad? It’s lost property value bad.
This wind turbine boat is worth rocking Because if we don’t then what will Falmouth’s town management team do next with our town taxes? What sneaky loop hole will be found to hurt your neighborhood? We need to Rock this boat. We aren’t anti wind but pro-neighborhood.
We are the “collateral damage” of greed gone bad. Maybe our boat rocking will save you from having to answer the question, IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?
Annie Hart Cool
Fire Tower Road