"Annoyance is not a disease", concludes new study of health effects of wind farms

A study prepared for the American Wind Energy Association and Canadian Wind Energy Association concludes that wind turbines do not pose a health risk to those who live near them. The study dispels the notion of a "wind turbine syndrome" caused by the noise and vibrations of wind turbines. Following on the heals of a U.S. DOE report that concluded that wind farms do not depress property values, the study should help remove another potential barrier to renewable energy development.

While funded by wind industry proponents, the study was the product of independent analysis by a multidisciplinary panel comprised of medical doctors, audiologists, and acoustical professionals from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. The team is confident in its results, and is reportedly submitting the study for publication in a number of peer reviewed journals.

The following are the main conclusions of the report:

• There is no evidence that the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines

have any direct adverse physiological effects.

• The ground-borne vibrations from wind turbines are too weak to be detected by, or to affect, humans.
• The sounds emitted by wind turbines are not unique. There is no reason to believe, based on the levels and frequencies of the sounds and the panel's experience with sound exposures in occupational settings, that the sounds from wind turbines could plausibly have direct adverse health consequences.

While the team acknowledged that some people may be annoyed and stressed out by the fact that a wind farm has been erected in their vicinity, they noted that "annoyance is not a disease."

No doubt, annoyance is exactly what many wind farm opponents will feel upon reading the report. It will be interesting to see if such opponents challenge any Renewable Energy Approvals ("REA") issued under Ontario's newly streamlined approval process for wind farms. Under Section 142.1(3) of the Environmental Protection Act (Ontario), the only grounds for appealing an REA are that engaging in the renewable energy project will cause "(a) serious harm to human health; or (b) serious and irreversible harm to plant life, animal life or the natural environment." If the conclusions of the study were to be accepted by the Environmental Review Tribunal, it would be very difficult to establish either of these grounds.

Tagged as: Ontario - renewable energy, Wind Energy