Noise from an industrial wind farm substation in Amaranth has generated several complaints as of late. Residents near the transformers say the sounds have been stronger than usual and they want action - something the company says it's already taken. "It's like a humming noise. We can actually hear it inside the house. It just kind of vibrates inside the house," explains Terry Kidd, who lives across the street from the transformers.

Two local noise experts advised the Orleans wind committee to change the basic noise standard used in the town law that governs wind power development. In its draft environmental impact statement, Horse Creek developer PPM Energy, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, estimated the turbines would create 45 to 50 decibels of noise. The measurement for night-time noise was 26 decibels. "This means the noise could frequently exceed 20 decibels above ambient, which according to DEC guidelines is very objectionable or intolerable," Mr. Schneider said. "And this frequently-occurring condition is permitted under the current town of Orleans law."

A new planning law, set to be launched by the Scottish Government tomorrow, could introduce such strict rules that it would make it impossible for wind turbines and other energy products to be used in homes in Scotland. ...The new law says that homes in which the owners want to install a micro wind turbine or an air source heat pump, which absorbs heat from outside to warm up buildings, would have to be at least 100 metres from its nearest neighbour because of the noise they make.

Ebbing said he is not for or against wind energy but cautioned town officials to set noise guidelines for the project after obtaining independent readings of ambient sound levels from at least 20 different locations at different times of day and in different seasons. He warned that turbine noises are magnified during temperature inversions and will be heard at greater distances if the community's ambient readings are at or below the 25 or 30 decibels prevalent in rural areas.

The ringing in his ears and the constant headaches started about a year ago. Ross Moulton has been to his doctor many times and underwent a CAT scan, but so far there is no diagnosis, no reason for his illness. ...Dr. Robert McMurtry, the former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario, is calling for the province to study the health impact of wind turbines. "At a minimum, they should be doing a survey of people around wind farms and getting a sense of how many people are complaining of problems," McMurtry says.

Windmills, and wind turbines, are harmless. Or are they? Centuries after Quixote's fictional fight, the question of wind-power safety is at the centre of a battle between homeowners and an energy firm 150 km southeast of Calgary, where hundreds of wind turbines are planned. Two farmers living close to the Blackspring Ridge Wind Project say they are worried about long-term health impacts -- something the company, Greengate, says has no basis in fact.

A northern Missouri man has filed a lawsuit against farm equipment maker Deere & Co. and a wind energy company alleging nearby wind turbines have hurt his property values and made him ill. Charlie Porter filed the lawsuit in the 4th Circuit Court of Missouri against Deere and The Wind Capital Group, a St. Louis-based wind energy company.

Can the noise generated from a wind turbine be detrimental to the health of nearby residents? That question and others were touched upon during a special presentation made to the Allegany Town Planning Board on noise impacts of commercial wind farms. The presentation was made by Charles E. Ebbing, a retired acoustic engineer in response to a request made by residents of Chipmonk and their attorney, Gary Abrams.

Wind farms might reduce air pollution. But, one neighbor in King City, Missouri says they're a major source of noise pollution. Now, the man is suing the operators of Missouri's first wind farm. If wind farms are the nation's future, Charlie Porter says look out. He calls them a nightmare especially when he tries to go to bed at night.

A demonstration of potential noise impacts generated by wind farms will be presented at 7 p. m. today to members of the Allegany Town Planning Board by an acoustic expert. The board's special meeting will be held in the Senior Center on Birch Run Road and is open to the public.

It is claimed the turbine in the grounds of Winscombe Woodborough Primary School gives out a constant whirring and has been christened Chinook by neighbours. David Egremont, who lives near the school, said: "The noise is not very pleasant at the best of times but when the wind comes from the east, as has happened frequently in recent months, then it becomes a constant annoyance.

A number of Huron-Kinloss residents are claiming the Suncor/Acciona wind turbine project is having a serious impact on their health. A presentation was made at Huron-Kinloss council's Jan. 19 meeting requesting help in their talks with Suncor and Acciona. Sandy MacLeod claimed the turbines are the cause of a rash of health problems, including high blood pressure, headaches, sleep disturbances ...

Before the turbines have been fully placed online, the first noise and shadow flicker complaint was brought before the Cohocton Town Board Tuesday night by David Hunt of Kirkwood Road. Hunt complained that the noise of the turbines, which he said has a constant high-pitched sound like a train whistle, an occasional roar and a loud whooshing sound, has regularly kept him awake at night since the blades started spinning in August.

Murphy said one of the major concerns of residents was noise. He said the city has now modified its plans to bring the noise level below 45 decibels - a standard that will address the noise issue. Residents were also concerned about the closeness of the turbines to property lines. Murphy said the setback requirements go hand in hand with noise levels so by reducing the noise levels generated by the turbines, the structures can remain located as planned.

The residents of North Gower who crowded into a small community hall to hear about the wind farm proposed for their backyard know the time for green power has come, but that didn't stop worries about the impact of giant turbines on their health and property values. ...Many of the 300 who filed through the three-hour information session supported the idea of moving to more renewable fuels, but questioned how the sight and sound of the turbines would affect them and drive down the value of their properties.

New documents filed in an ongoing civil lawsuit by a Portage-area couple against the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm say that wind energy experts duped local officials into believing the turbine sound was insignificant. Todd and Jill Stull of the Blue Knob area say that developer Gamesa Energy USA and owner Babcock & Brown misled local officials by supporting development of an ordinance addressing higher noise levels.

Scott Rueter is fed up with the wind turbines that are near his home and with the company that owns them. Rueter, who was scheduled to voice his complaints to the board of supervisors at their last meeting but canceled because of illness, spent about an hour with the board on Tuesday. He said that the noise from the 2.5 megawatt turbines which are located near his home just east of Harris is overwhelming.

Blair County Judge Daniel Milliron on Friday dismissed the counts against Gamesa, which made and installed the turbines, but left intact the lawsuit against Allegheny Ridge because he believes the complaints deal with operational problems. Allegheny Ridge operates the wind farm.

A local doctor and his wife have filed a lawsuit against the operator of a nearby wind farm saying they are losing sleep from the the constant ''whooshing'' and ''screeching'' caused by the wind turbines. Blair County Judge Daniel J. Milliron on Friday concluded his initial review of the lawsuit brought by Todd and Jill Stull of Portage RD, Blair County. Milliron kept the lawsuit largely intact although he dismissed several counts of the legal complaint including one that charged Gamesa Energy and its subsidiary, Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm LLC, with creating a public nuisance.

When the state of Michigan commissioned recommendations to help formulate wind energy policies, acoustic expert Rick James saw two problems with the commission. The commission lacked both the expertise of an acoustic engineer and a medical doctor. Without these two perspectives, a major concern of wind turbines - their potential physical side effects due to the sounds they emitted - were overlooked.