The following letter, written by Steve Rusk of Van Wert, Ohio, is one resident's experience with life inside a wind project's "footprint". It addresses some of the intangible factors in assessing damage to property values and health for residents living in a wind industrial zone.
3/29/2013
3/29/2013
Hello, I used to live in the Blue
Creek Wind Farm at 10038 Elm Sugar Rd. Scott, Ohio. In July 2012
the
bank sold my home at considerable loss for $16,500, down from a
prewind farm appraised value of $73,000. This devaluation wasn't
due to any obvious aesthetic damage the property had suffered nor
the
fact that no one looking to move to the country wants to live in
an
industrial zone. This depreciation was caused by the risk factors
associated with living there, primarily infrasound exposure.
Besides
adverse health effects, selling a residence in a wind farm is also
risky. Failure to to call out the presence of infrasound can
result
in a lawsuit, even declaring it's presence may not be enough
protection. When the property owner participates in the sale the
owner assumes most if not all of the risk and the bank is
protected.
Lack of regulation means there are no
established standards for safe levels of exposure to infrasound,
any
exposure must be recognized as dangerous. Lack of regulation also
means there are no laws to compel the wind farm companies to tell
you
their machines produce it. The wind farms generate an ambient area
of
infrasound extending well beyond their boundaries with roving hot
zones depending on wind speed, direction, turbine placement, etc.
Due
to the large number of variables actual infrasound levels can be
determined only by extensive mapping of the site after the wind
farm
is in operation.
Blade thump is produced when a wind
turbine blade tip passes the supporting pylon at approximately 200
mph. The pressure buildup that occurs, in addition to auditory
noise
levels, generates an inaudible burst of infrasound that comes out
essentially as a beam spreading outward into a fan shaped area at
ground level, at right angles to wind direction in the direction
of
blade rotation. Reaching out to a mile or more with lesser amounts
going in the opposite direction, the intensity and area depending
on
blade speed and other factors. These bursts penetrate all
structures, we lack the technology to protect buildings from
infrasound penetration. These infrasound fields are hot zones,
when
2, 3 or more fields overlap one another you have intensely hot
areas.
At a top operating speed of 19 RPM with 3 blades, that is 57
bursts
per minute being generated by each and every wind turbine in
operation. Each pulse passing through your body like a shock wave
acting as a hammer on every cell, whenever the turbines are in
operation. Nerve cells are most easily injured by this effect,
developing nerve cells much more so. There are serious health
risks
even for healthy adults living with frequent exposure to
infrasound
and especially for children, the elderly and individuals with
various
health conditions.
Once symptoms develop it may be too
late for some and even short term exposure may result in lasting
effects on some children. The quarter mile setbacks currently
required are point blank for exposure to the infrasound generated
by
wind turbines.
To those of you living near the wind
turbines or about to be, please note one simple fact: We live in a
society that doesn't change it's ways until the body count gets
high
enough... sometimes not even then.
There are two things happening right
now:
1. The wind farm companies will
intensify ongoing lobbying efforts to obtain protection from
lawsuits
(Torte Reform). Specifically, protection from the class action
lawsuit which is what the wind farms are.
2. Residential properties in or near
wind farms are toxic assets, as the news spreads banks will cease
making loans on these homes and those potentially so.
Thank you,
Steve Rusk
Van Wert, Ohio