www.windaction.org | facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss Invenergy turbine blade failure (1) http://www.windaction.org/articles/20477 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:13:50 GMT Residents in Illinois photographed this recent blade failure at the Grand Ridge wind energy facility in La Salle County, Illinois, 80 miles southwest of Chicago. The Grand Ridge wind project employs 66 GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines and was commissioned in late 2008. http://www.windaction.org/articles/20477 Invenergy turbine blade failure http://www.windaction.org/articles/20476 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:01:43 GMT Residents in Illinois photographed this recent blade failure at the Grand Ridge wind energy facility in La Salle County, Illinois, 80 miles southwest of Chicago. The Grand Ridge wind project employs 66 GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines and was commissioned in late 2008. http://www.windaction.org/articles/20476 Suzlon turbine failure http://www.windaction.org/articles/18512 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:56:50 GMT One of the 140-foot-long blades broke off at the stem on a wind turbine in rural Wyanet in Bureau County Illinois. The blade was found 150 feet away from the turbine. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18512 Semitruck collision with wind turbine ties up Illinois 130 traffic near Charleston http://www.windaction.org/articles/21581 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:58:53 GMT A semitrailer was damaged Monday morning when it struck a 170-foot wind turbine blade being hauled on Illinois Route 130 on the north side of Charleston. No injuries were reported as a result of the collision that occurred shortly after 11 a.m. at the intersection of Route 130/Olive Avenue and Seventh Street adjacent to the Kirchner Building Center. http://www.windaction.org/articles/21581 Suzlon reacts to blade exclusion http://www.windaction.org/articles/19019 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:25:44 GMT When the Bureau County Board voted to exclude a certain type of wind turbine from consideration for seven Walnut Ridge sites, the company was understandably concerned. ...On Nov. 17, Suzlon issued a statement regarding the S88. According to the statement, the problem with the S88 near Buda was with the V2 version, which has since been replaced with the V3 version. http://www.windaction.org/articles/19019 No worry for Sherrard turbine, superintendent says http://www.windaction.org/articles/18561 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:47:30 GMT A falling blade from a wind turbine near Wyanet in Bureau County last week has resulted in some fears, but one area school says there is no need to worry. The blade was 140 feet long and weighed 6 tons. Fortunately, it landed in a corn field and there were no injuries or damage to property. The Sherrard School District has just erected a wind turbine at its junior high and high school campus in lower Rock Island County, but there is no connection to the one that broke in Wyanet last Wednesday. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18561 Wind out of their sails http://www.windaction.org/articles/18526 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:40:10 GMT Lisa Linowes, executive director of the group, said the failure in Wyanet is evidence that wind energy isn't as safe as its proponents claim. "This whole thing about safety worries us a lot," she said. "In the last year, there have been at least 15 cases, and those are just cases that have been reported." http://www.windaction.org/articles/18526 Blade breaks off wind tower near Wyanet http://www.windaction.org/articles/18513 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:34:59 GMT A wind turbine blade came crashing to the ground Wednesday, halting energy production at a small-scale wind farm southwest of Wyanet because of what may be a defective design. In all, four turbines on Richard Shertz's property - all part of the AgriWind facility in central Bureau County - have stopped turning after a blade on top of one of the towers broke off about 9:30 a.m. "It was the loudest noise I've ever heard," he said. "I thought it was thunder." http://www.windaction.org/articles/18513 Blowin' (off) in the wind http://www.windaction.org/articles/18506 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:43:06 GMT Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, a rotating blade on a wind turbine at Schertz's farm broke off, plunging to the earth in a cornfield about 150 feet west of the turbine. ...The spokesperson said the investigation into this turbine had just started, but the company was in the middle of a blade retrofit program across the United States to correct an "unfortunate" design issue in the first generation of this blade. http://www.windaction.org/articles/18506 Wind farms plus airstrips amount to controversy http://www.windaction.org/articles/17168 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:45:28 GMT The permits for the 14 turbines were tabled at the board's June 14 meeting upon request of the wind farm developers after rural Walnut resident Kurt Geldean opposed the turbines, saying they would interfere with the use of his private airstrip. Addressing the zoning board Wednesday, Mike Donahue, representing Walnut Ridge developers Midwest Energy, said a verbal agreement was reached with Geldean just prior to the start of the meeting. The verbal agreement called for the withdrawal of five turbines, with Geldean agreeing not to oppose the other nine. http://www.windaction.org/articles/17168 OTTAWA: Wind farm agreement put on hold http://www.windaction.org/articles/12554 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:10:03 GMT Ottawa city commissioners Tuesday put the brakes on an agreement to expand an enterprise zone to include a wind energy farm south of the city. In September, Chicago-based Invenergy asked the city to expand its enterprise zone that now stretches from Ottawa to Grundy County to include about 225 acres for a 66-turbine wind farm south of Ottawa. The turbines will be erected in Brookfield, Allen and Grand Rapids townships. ...for two commissioners, the crux of the arrangement entailed another part of the agreement. "I'm not in favor in that Grand Ridge (Energy) has asked the Ottawa Fire Department to provide emergency response services," said Ed Whitney, commissioner of public health and safety. "I know they're giving us a lot of money but I think we're selling ourselves out." http://www.windaction.org/articles/12554 Crane crashlands at wind farm http://www.windaction.org/articles/7030 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:16:58 GMT There were no injuries at a crane accident Monday night on a Lee/La Salle County wind farm. “It was an unfortunate accident,” GSG Wind Energy vice president Bruce Papiech said. The accident occurred at a wind turbine site about five miles north of Mendota near West Brooklyn Road. Papiech said the crane was lifting a turbine off a truck when the boom folded over. He could not provide much more detail because of insurance reasons. http://www.windaction.org/articles/7030 Durbin: Wind farm guidelines need clarification http://www.windaction.org/articles/5799 Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:05:43 GMT A report by the Department of Defense on where wind farms can be located does not go far enough and leaves future projects up to military approval, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Monday. http://www.windaction.org/articles/5799 Pentagon says Illinois wind farms not hazardous to radar http://www.windaction.org/articles/5461 Sat, 30 Sep 2006 11:03:54 GMT Illinois’ senators said Friday that they no longer are blocking President Bush’s nominee for a Pentagon post after learning from the Defense Department that one of its recent report won’t be detrimental to wind farms in their state. http://www.windaction.org/articles/5461 Illinois senators seek wind turbine study http://www.windaction.org/articles/4934 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:03:29 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama are blocking Senate confirmation of a Defense Department nominee in an attempt to pressure the Pentagon into releasing a study that is holding up wind turbine construction in Illinois and other states. http://www.windaction.org/articles/4934 Firefighters ask for training funds - Woodford departments seek $125,000 from wind farm developers http://www.windaction.org/articles/4453 Wed, 16 Aug 2006 11:44:58 GMT EUREKA - Woodford County volunteer firefighters are asking for more than eight times as much money originally offered from the developers of a wind farm so they can be trained to combat potential emergencies involving the gigantic turbines. http://www.windaction.org/articles/4453 Durbin, Obama block FAA nominee over wind farms http://www.windaction.org/articles/4097 Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:10:38 GMT Illinois' senators are blocking President Bush's nominee for a Federal Aviation Administration post as they seek his administration's answer to whether wind farms interfere with military operations. http://www.windaction.org/articles/4097 Public Hearing for Wind Farm in Ogle Co. http://www.windaction.org/articles/438 Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:37:30 GMT The idea has been brought up in just about every county in the Stateline. Wednesday night in Ogle County members of the public were invited to come up and voice their opinions to the zoning board of appeals. The room was packed with concerned citizens, so much so that some were forced to listen to testimony from the hallway. Every person that stood up to talk was against the proposed wind farm. http://www.windaction.org/articles/438 Wind farm developers stealing your land http://www.windaction.org/articles/13502 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:48:41 GMT The Jo Daviess County Board permitted a wind farm developer to place turbines such that safety setbacks overlapped an adjacent homeowner's residence. The safety setbacks were established to provide protection in the event of blade and ice throws, tower collapse, noise etc.

The homeowner who made the video states, "I can no longer safely occupy my own property within the setbacks!" The only recourse for homeowners is to seek legal action.

]]> The Jo Daviess County Board permitted a wind farm developer to place turbines such that safety setbacks overlapped an adjacent homeowner's residence. The safety setbacks were established to provide protection in the event of blade and ice throws, tower collapse, noise etc. The homeowner who made the video states, "I can no longer safely occupy my own property within the setbacks!" The only recourse for homeowners is to seek legal action. http://www.windaction.org/articles/13502