Wind turbines causing trouble for some homeowners
WCIA TV|Erick Payne |January 15, 2018
Wind farms have become more noticeable in Central Illinois over the years. Some who live in view of the towers are annoyed -- they say they're interfering with basic utilities.
Wind farms have become more noticeable in Central Illinois over the years. Some who live in view of the towers are annoyed -- they say they're interfering with basic utilities.
MACON COUNTY, Ill. -- Wind farms have become more noticeable in Central Illinois over the years.
Some who live in view of the towers are annoyed -- they say they're interfering with basic utilities.
Those living nearby say most of the wind turbines started turning a couple months ago. Their main concerns are a decrease in property values, noise and signals going fuzzy.
Now a few homeowners plan to take the county to court.
"We have forever received our television signal with rabbit ears, and never once had a problem."
For more than half a century, the Wessel's never had issues. But they say everything changed when the wind turbines began popping up.
"We live a little under a quarter mile from one of the towers."
He's …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]MACON COUNTY, Ill. -- Wind farms have become more noticeable in Central Illinois over the years.
Some who live in view of the towers are annoyed -- they say they're interfering with basic utilities.
Those living nearby say most of the wind turbines started turning a couple months ago. Their main concerns are a decrease in property values, noise and signals going fuzzy.
Now a few homeowners plan to take the county to court.
"We have forever received our television signal with rabbit ears, and never once had a problem."
For more than half a century, the Wessel's never had issues. But they say everything changed when the wind turbines began popping up.
"We live a little under a quarter mile from one of the towers."
He's done research -- and tried talking to company representatives.
A Macon County ordinance states the wind farm company has to mitigate signal interference - and Wessel believes the company is in violation of that ordinance.
"This isn't just blowing smoke."
A few miles away from the Wessel's, there are others who are irritated.
"Normally you can hear every blade passing from the direction the wind is blowing, it's a swoosh, swoosh, and I hear it in all of my outbuildings when I'm working, it's constantly bothersome."
Alan Ruwe doesn't have a problem with signal interference, but he's worried about his property values.
He's one of nearly two dozen homeowners who are suing the wind company and the county.
"If you live on or near a wind farm, multiple things happen, property values go down 40 to 60 percent."
He says there are also health concerns because of the constant noise.
But the overall goal of the lawsuit is to stall further development until more hearings can be done.
While the main goal of the Wessel's, is to just get their tv signal back.
"It's frustrating. Why it's happening, I don't know, I just wish someone would help us find out why it's happening."
Wessel says a representative of the county has been helpful trying to get it fixed. The county says it doesn't make sense for some people to lose signal when the wind farm isn't between the stations signal booster and their homes.