The Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines, which was established in December 2014, released this final report based on a considerable volume of evidence collected from testimonies around the country and beyond. The committee received written and verbal evidence from State Governments, local councils, various federal government agencies, wind farm operators and manufacturers, country fire authorities, acousticians, medical experts and representatives from various associations and institutes. In addition, many private citizens had the opportunity to voice their concerns with the planning, consultation, approval, development and operation of wind farms in Australia. The recommendations from both the interim and final reports are provided below. The full reports, both final and interim, can be accessed by clicking the links on this page. In addition, a minority, dissenting report is included.
Impact on People
Noise
Australia
The WindAction Group (www.windAction.org)
Facts, analysis, exposure to industrial wind energy's real impacts
This letter written by William Hallstein, MD, a practicing psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience, was delivered to the Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals. Dr. Hallstein is also a resident of Falmouth Massachusetts. In his letter he explains the very real impact the Falmouth turbines on human health.
Wind Concerns Ontario submitted these comments to the Green Energy Approvals section of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), following testimony from acoustics experts at the appeal of the White Pines wind power project. In the letter (provided below and attached to this page), WCO requests that the MOECC review the testimony of the witnesses, specifically that Ontario’s noise regulations are inadequate to protect health, and to apply the information to the current review of noise regulations for wind turbines underway in the province. The White Pines Wind Project, if built, will consist of 29 wind turbines with a nameplate capacity of 59.45 megawatts (MW) situated in within the ward of South Marysburgh and a small portion of Athol, Prince Edward County, Ontario. For more information pertaining to the White Pines wind application appeal before the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal, see this website - https://appec.wordpress.com/
This paper examines the impact of wind turbine noise among wind farm workers. Turbine noise.can affect annoyance, sleep and health, and any disorder in these factors can amplify the sound exposure effects in the people living close to wind turbines. The effect of the noise exposure on the annoyance, sleep disturbance and health of the people living near to wind farms and their mutual effects on each other was studied in various places around the world and there is a comprehensive literature in this area [6–8], but, so far no study has been conducted to investigate these relations among wind farm workers. The abstract and background for the study are provided below. The full report can be accessed at the links on this page.
The objective of this study was to explore the association between wind turbine noise, sleep disturbance and quality of life, using data from published observational studies. The Abstract and Discussion from the report are provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
With the proliferation of recent research and the rediscovery of earlier, until now largely ignored studies, infrasound and low frequency noise (LFN) can no longer be dismissed as irrelevant. This report shows why LFN must be given full consideration as a contributing cause of the distress of some of those people living near wind turbine installations. It also demonstrates why the Ontario and Canadian governments must pay attention to this research. The table of contents for the report is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clciking the links on this page.
This critical work investigated the brain's response following the stimulation with sounds at infrasound frequencies was investigated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) a significant response was detected which was localised within the auditory cortex and which was present down to the lowest frequency presented (8 Hz). The abstract of this report is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
Dr. McMurtry is Professor Emeritus of Western University in London, Ontario. He has researched and reviewed the health impacts of wind turbines for nearly a decade. He appeared before the Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines on June 29, 2015. The transcript of his appearance is provided below. A full transcript of the day can be found by clicking the link(s) on this page.
This important letter by the Australian Minister of the Environment declares recognition of the continuing concerns raised by communities over wind project siting and operation. The letter includes two attachments that outline a plan to facilitate addressing wind farm complaints and also examine how the country can move away from builting turbines in favor of other emerging technioogies. The full letter can be accessed by clicking the link on this page.
Clive and Petrina Gare presented their story before the Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines. The Gares leased their land to a wind developer for 19 turbines to be erected. The nearest turbine was sited about 800 metres away from their home with three towers within approximately one to 1.5 kilometres away. In total, they were paid $200,000 per year for hosting the machines. The construction phase was difficult but when the turbines were placed in service in October 2010, the situation became unbearable. The Gares, and others, gave testimony before the Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines. The full testimony is provided below can be accessed by clicking the links on the page.
Dr. Malcolm A. Swinbanks of MAS Research Limited presented this important paper at the 6th International Meeting on Wind Turbine Noise in Glasgow. In his paper, he explains how turbine noise, in particular, low-frequency noise, cannot be masked by the flow of wind noise across an individual's ear. Within a residence, severe direct health effects on humans have been reported that are attributable to low-frequency and infra-sound. The introduction and conclusion of his paper are provided below. His full paper can be accessed by clicking the link on this page.
Health Canada asked the Council of Canadian Academies to conduct an in-depth expert panel assessment. The Panel’s report presents findings on the acoustic characteristics of wind turbine noise; evidence on causal relationships between exposure to wind turbine noise and adverse health effects; knowledge gaps and further research; and promising practices to reduce adverse community response. The resulting report is evidence-based and does not espouse recommendations. Its purpose, rather, is to assess the scientific evidence on the question of wind turbine noise and human health in order to provide a foundation of knowledge to support governments, policy-makers, communities, and the industry. A brief summary of the study is provided below. The full report can be accessed at the links on this page.
Virginia Stewart Love, a member of Victims of Wind in Ontario, published this open letter in response to the recently released literature review by the Canadian Council of Academies CCA which found that annoyance can be caused by wind turbine noise – a clear adverse health effect. Ms. Love's full letter is posted below and can be accessed by clicking the link on this page.
Poland’s President-elect Andrzej Duda declares in this statement that he would push for passing a law preventing the placement of wind energy facilities within a specified distance from homes. The original signed statement is provided on this page in Polish. The English translation is posted below and also can be accessed as an attached document.
This important study conducted at a home situated within 1300 feet of the Falmouth MA wind turbines identified infrasonic sound pressure levels inside the residence. These results are similar to results from other international researchers with references given in the report. The executive summary and conclusions sections of the report are provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the link on this page.
Dr Christopher Hanning submitted this testimony to the Australian Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines explaining the impact of turbine noise on sleep. The summary of his testimony is provided below. The full submission can be accessed at the links on this page.
The authors of this paper conducted an extensive literature review of scientific articles that address the association between wind turbine noise exposure and any suspected health-related outcomes. The abstract of their findings is provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the links on this page. A second link on this page includes three tables listing the health studies reviewed by the authors.
In this paper, William K.G. Palmer discusses how interior room shape and size contribute to turbine noise complaints when wind turbines are sited nearby. The abstract of the paper is provided below. The full paper, with presentation slides, can be accessed by clicking the link(s) on this page. Mr. Palmer presented his findings at the October 2014 Acoustical Society of America proceedings.
Dr. Robert McMurtry and Carmen ME Krogh present an important summary of the adverse health impacts observed in individuals living in proximity to industrial scale wind turbines. The paper is aimed at physicians who are receiving patients with symptoms and possible confusing complaints reported by those near the operating turbine plants. Excerpts of the paper are provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the link(s) on this page.