http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.windaction.org/articles/22330 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:45:12 GMT These photos were taken from the Prarie Crossing Elementary in Benton County Indiana. A wind farm was erected adjacent to the school with turbines approximately 1000 ft from the school building, parking lot, and playground. http://www.windaction.org/articles/22330 http://www.windaction.org/articles/22329 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:43:04 GMT These photos were taken from the Prarie Crossing Elementary in Benton County Indiana. A wind farm was erected adjacent to the school with turbines approximately 1000 ft from the school building, parking lot, and playground. http://www.windaction.org/articles/22329 http://www.windaction.org/articles/19492 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:11:55 GMT This photo of the Newburyport wind turbine (292-feet tall) was taken from at the rear property line of a nearby residence. The residents in the area have expressed their concerns to the city about noise, flicker, ice throws and other safety issues. http://www.windaction.org/articles/19492 http://www.windaction.org/articles/15111 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:11:25 GMT http://www.windaction.org/articles/15111 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23858 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:22:38 GMT Three months after the Ripley Wind Farm went online in December, 2007, Dave Colling's phone started ringing. Three of his neighbours were seeing doctors about recurring ear aches. They knew Colling, a former dairy farmer who lives within two kilometres of the turbines near the southern Bruce County community, had an interest in and could test for what he calls "electrical pollution." "It's like living inside a microwave. It radiates," Colling told more than 100 people Tuesday night in Keady. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23858 http://www.windaction.org/articles/22620 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:32:53 GMT A long-running campaign to build a wind turbine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn has been dealt another blow by councillors. The latest application to build an 80m turbine in the hospital grounds has been refused by West Norfolk's development control board ...This is the second planning application for the turbine which has been turned down. http://www.windaction.org/articles/22620 http://www.windaction.org/articles/21113 Fri, 08 May 2009 12:29:37 GMT Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health directors are asking the recently launched Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion to investigate the effects of wind turbines. "We have written our letter specifically recommending that they consider large population-based health studies," medical officer of health Dr. Nicola Mercer said yesterday. ...Increasingly, municipalities want higher levels of government to set standards and probe health concerns like noise and electromagnetic disturbances. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21113 http://www.windaction.org/articles/19968 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:07:55 GMT Bill Fish wants the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to investigate homemade windmills after his neighbour's device came crashing through his roof during yesterday's high winds. He was shocked awake around 3 a.m. when an eight-foot-long wooden blade penetrated the roof, before piercing through the ceiling and wall in a sewing room of his Dufferin Avenue home, located outside of Wallaceburg in Chatham Township. http://www.windaction.org/articles/19968 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18253 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:30:22 GMT According to Canadian Renewable Energy Corp., three to four barrels of diesel fuel were spilled around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The fuel was being transferred between tanks on Sea Hound, a vessel operated by Nadro Marine Services Ltd., a contractor based in Port Drove, Ontario. Nadro Marine has been transporting wind turbines from Ogdensburg for the 86-turbine Wolfe Island Wind Project. ...Mark O. Mattson, president of the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, an environmental advocacy group based in Toronto, finds the incident ironic. "It's a bit of a shock. The whole purpose of the wind power project was to help the environment," he said. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18253 http://www.windaction.org/articles/18073 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:04:16 GMT [W]ind farm neighbors are worried, however, about the safety of the turbines, which can leak chemicals if they aren't maintained properly. Those who live in the hills say it happens, and they are worried that the chemicals could leak into their watershed. Bill Cunningham says he has contacted Horizon Wind Energy, and they have been extremely cooperative. He says they hired a private research company to study the wind turbines, and found they indeed were leaking. Although the company says it wasn't a large enough amount to be concerned with, they still hired private crews to clean up. Now, with more turbines being erected, locals continue to worry about future maintenance. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18073 http://www.windaction.org/articles/17803 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:05:02 GMT Although the 400-foot turbines can sometimes delay air medical rescues, emergency personnel are trained to cope artfully with such situations, said Claire Rayford, spokesperson for Flight for Life ...The pilot decides what is safe and makes a decision based on many different factors at the time of the incident, Rayford said. http://www.windaction.org/articles/17803 http://www.windaction.org/articles/17665 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:58:49 GMT Forty pages of health and safety information surrounding the proposed wind turbine project in town may never have been created had it not been for some anxious residents. Ron Pitt, chairman for the health and safety subcommittee that researched and wrote the report, said interested and concerned residents, including members of the group Citizens Wind Watch, should be credited for pushing forward the process of learning more about wind turbines and the issues that surround them. ...Mr. Russo said the recent health and safety report spelled a certain end to the likelihood the turbine would be constructed at the high school. http://www.windaction.org/articles/17665 http://www.windaction.org/articles/17416 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:57:43 GMT It's a plan, not everyone is thrilled about. On a stretch of land, just southwest of Fond du Lac, Curt Kindschuh lives near a windmill farm. It's an area where Flight for Life and Theda Star say landing could be extremely tough, and that's why pilots are being told to avoid it, even if there's an emergency. http://www.windaction.org/articles/17416 http://www.windaction.org/articles/17410 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:35:03 GMT The modern windmills may create clean energy but they are a clear and present danger to air ambulances. Milwaukee-based Flight for Life has notified first responders in Fond du Lac County that air ambulances will not land near the windmill clusters here. "They are up in the air," said Flight for Life's Claire Rayford. "We have to be aware of them. Depending on how high they are, they may not be lit." http://www.windaction.org/articles/17410 http://www.windaction.org/articles/16220 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:43:20 GMT The lives of young pilots based in Shropshire could be put at risk if controversial plans to build a wind farm get the go ahead, north Shropshire's MP has warned. Owen Paterson MP has written to defence secretary Des Browne calling on him to support objections to the proposed wind farm at Norton-in-Hales, near Market Drayton. In his letter, Mr Paterson expresses concern that the lives of young pilots based at RAF Shawbury could be put at risk by "unnecessary extra dangers" on what is already a demanding course. http://www.windaction.org/articles/16220 http://www.windaction.org/articles/15951 Wed, 21 May 2008 02:11:01 GMT The issue of wind turbines in Chatham-Kent continues to linger. Council put off the issue of setbacks at its May 5 meeting and asked the health unit for more information about the devices. Council has already approved a wind turbine project in the Port Alma area, but is looking to establish a policy in anticipation of future applications for turbines. The municipality has the potential to be host to 250 turbines. http://www.windaction.org/articles/15951 http://www.windaction.org/articles/13175 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:53:30 GMT NATIONAL security could be compromised by more wind turbines in the Swaffham area, but councillors have been recommended to grant permission. The Ministry of Defence warns the six new giant turbines would have "an unacceptable impact upon the air traffic control radar at RAF Marham and Lakenheath and also against the air defence radar at Trimingham". But Breckland councillors could give the go-ahead on Monday for the turbines to be built on an open farmland site between the A1065 Castleacre Road and Sporle Road in Swaffham and Sporle. http://www.windaction.org/articles/13175 http://www.windaction.org/articles/13168 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:59:33 GMT A contentious plan to build four towering wind turbines by a Norfolk coastal village has gone back to the drawing board to address strong fears over the impact of the structures on the countryside. SLP Energy has withdrawn its application to build the 125m high turbines at Hemsby, near Yarmouth, because it says it needs more time to revise its scheme to overcome a swathe of objections from residents, councils, the Ministry of Defence(MOD) and countryside groups. Concerns were raised that the turbines would loom over the village's skyline and blight its appearance and be detrimental to a nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest. Objections were also submitted by the MOD, which said the turbines would interfere with radar at RAF Trimingham and residents said they were worried the proposed site would hamper television signals. http://www.windaction.org/articles/13168 http://www.windaction.org/articles/13052 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:37:27 GMT At the heart of Halgren's complaint are a series of safety setbacks discussed by the PSC report, as well as several international organizations. One of those groups is the Word Bank. Halgren said international standards call for greater setback distances from roads and houses than those being used by NedPower and Shell WindEnergy. He claimed these standards were not included in the project's state permit because they were unknown to the PSC staff at the time. According to Halgren, international standards call for setbacks ranging upwards to 1,025 feet. In contrast, he said six turbine sites along Grassy Ridge Road are located from 123-323 feet from the pavement, and within 500 feet of homes. Halgren said the PSC staff favors an 820-foot setback between turbine towers and homes. http://www.windaction.org/articles/13052 http://www.windaction.org/articles/12702 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:42:13 GMT A popular skydiving site has been saved from the threat of closure after planners unanimously voted against a bid to build a wind farm. Peterlee Parachute Centre, at Shotton Airfield, feared it would have to put a stop to jumps if the go-head was given to install two 111metre-high turbines at Edder Acres Farm. ...All nine of the members on District of Easington Council's development control committee agreed with officer recommendations the application from A7 Energy should be refused because of the impact it would have on the centre. http://www.windaction.org/articles/12702