This letter, which was read at the Vermilion county board meeting on Monday, October 8, 2013, was written by William C. Mulvaney, the Superintendent of Schools for Armstrong Township High School and Armstrong-Ellis CUD #61 in Illinois. The project is Invenergy's California Ridge with 134 turbines in Vermilion and Champaign counties. The setback at the time of construction was 1000 feet from the foundation of a family home. The setback was later changed to 1200 feet from the foundation. Mr. Mulvaney served on a wind ordinance panel. His message about students and families suffering the impacts of turbine noise and flicker is important.
Impact on People
Noise
Illinois
The WindAction Group (www.windAction.org)
Facts, analysis, exposure to industrial wind energy's real impacts
Ted Hartke, his wife Jessica and their two children, Phillip (age 9) and Sophia (age 6) have abandoned their home in Vermilion County, Illinois due to turbine noise. This testimony was delivered to the Boone County Illinois county commissioners on May 28, 2013 as the county considered a wind ordinance that would permit wind development. This testimony predates Mr. Hartke and his family leaving their home. A portion of his testimony is provided below. His full testimony can be accessed by clicking the link on this page.
This suit was filed against the Village of Libertyville (IL) and DPR Investments LLC shortly after a business-scale wind turbine was erected and became operational within 600 feet of residential properties. The Entegrity 50 kilowatt, 120-foot turbine is owned by DPR Investments doing business as Aldridge Electric Company. Complaints of noise, shadow flicker and blade flicker were heard right after the turbine started turning. On July 24, 2009, the Court issued a compromise ruling stating that the turbine was affecting neighboring residents and restricted the turbine hours of operation to weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (see: http://www.windaction.org/news/22373 )
Richard James is a noise control consultant and acoustical consultant with E-Coustic Solutions in Michigan. In his testimony before the Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals in IL, Mr. James addresses the noise study conducted by Horizon Wind for the Rail Splitter wind energy proposal. His testimony can be accessed in full by clicking on the link below and reading from page 22 of the .pdf file. Mr. James' testimony is informative and compelling.