NO Residential Wind North Kingstown

A coalition of concerned citizens in opposition to industrial size wind turbines in North Kingstown, Rhode Island

The Falmouth Experience

Some residents of Falmouth, Mass. say they're suffering headaches, insomnia and depression because of a 400-foot tall town-owned wind turbine that began operating there last year (Wind 1). Most scientists say wind turbines don't cause health problems, but the experience of residents has strengthened anti-wind sentiment in the region. WGBH's Sean Corcoran and Climatide's Heather Goldstone investigate the science and politics of The Falmouth Experience.

The Falmouth Experience: Complete Series
(Click on the above link for the complete 5-part audio series including extended interviews & analysis on WGBH or see the part-by-part below)

We hope North Kingstown will not follow in the mistaken footsteps of nearby Falmouth, Massachusetts

Part 1: Life Under the Blades

Encouraged by the Patrick Administration’s goal to expand wind power, communities across the commonwealth are considering or constructing wind turbines. In the town of Falmouth, MA, some residents say a 400-foot tall turbine installed last year has changed their lives – and not for the better.

Extended interview: ‘You can’t be forcing these on people’
Climatide Analysis: Wind energy: The onshore-offshore connection
Summary

1,320 feet away from turbine
Operations started in April, residents have been trying to stop "since April"
Opponent originally "considered wind power a good principle"
"Headaches, loss of sleep, ringing in my ears that never goes away"
Before turned on "Falmouth residents almost universally welcomed it"
"We will move if we have to"
"Type of sound, a low level pulse is not regulated"
Town manager "I don't experience what they do, but I do believe it is very real to them"
Scientific studies appear not to have caught up to actual causations
"People clearly are having symptoms, are having headaches, etc."
"Both sides are right"
Falmouth selectmen looking at permanent mitigation which must be negotiated

Part 2: Sick from the noise

Some residents of Falmouth say the sounds coming from a large, town-owned wind turbine are making them sick. While turbines are not silent, claims of health impacts, including sleep disruption, headaches, ringing in the ears, and depression, are often controversial. And there’s limited scientific data to resolve the debate.

Extended interview: ‘It put me into depression’
Climatide Analysis: Debating the future of renewable energy

Summary

"The Noise from this turbine is KILLING me!"
"It's like sea sickness, experience headaches, sleep interruptions, vertigo"
Some feel it, others don't
Effects seem to be cumulative
Town study reflects sound "is WITHIN TOWN/STATE GUIDELINES" (yet people harmed)
Not volume, type of sound that's the problem
"Noise gets inside of me, causes stress and anxiety"
Three noises: swooshing, sneakers in dryer, infrasound (low frequency under 20Hz)
Wind turbine noise seems to be more disturbing than other noises
Advocates say "neighbors may be annoyed by sounds, but annoyances are not considered a health impact from a clinical perspective"
"Chronic annoyance can build into stress and stress can cause many of the symptoms we're talking about"
Dr. Nissenbaum: "sleep deprivation is taking a toll on people's mental and physical health"
"Infrasound is controversial, like a pulse that gets into their heads, makes hearts race"
People have different sensitivities to sound particularly in the low frequecy range
"NOT ENOUGH SCIENCE TO SORT THIS OUT YET"
State of Massachusetts looking to partner with scientist to find out more

Part 3: Flickering Light

Residents in the town of Falmouth say that a nearly 400-foot wind turbine has severely impacted their quality of life. They talk about noise and health issues, but sound isn’t the only thing generating discontent. There also are complaints about a phenomenon called ‘shadow flicker’

Climatide Analysis: Is annoyance a health impact?

Summary

1,900 from turbine (3/8 mile)
"Time to put on Dancing Queen"
Have to do something to make it a little more tolerable with disco music
Why we should have to be exposed to this?
"Intense flashing can make reading, watching television or even having a conversation a challenge"
The sunshine is flashing at us
Opponents give a number of reasons (same as ours) health effects, costs to ratepayers, general noise, effect on property values
Shadow flicker is another reason, but more of an annoyance
It's a nuisance
Unlikely to cause epileptic seizures except smaller turbines (higher spin rate)
Residents complaints met with skepticism and indifference
"Get over it, you'll get used to it"
Developers: shadow flicker can be eliminated or mitigated (however Donald's is not so)
Donald advised to "cover his windows, grow more trees and keep his lights on"

Part 4: The Green Debate

Efforts to install land-based wind turbines on the Cape have slowed, largely because of opposition to a turbine that was installed last spring in Falmouth. Prominent pro-wind spokesperson Liz Argo says the Falmouth experience is an isolated incident, but anti-wind advocate Eric Bibler says the same thing could happen anywhere.

Extended Interview with Liz Argo: ‘What can we learn from Falmouth?’
Extended Interview with Eric Bibler: ‘The towns are conflicted’

Part 5: Making Waves in the Wind Debate

Because of its strong winds, Cape Cod is a crucial part of Governor Deval Patrick’s plan to erect enough wind turbines to power 800,000 home by the end of the decade – a quarter of them on land. But complaints about a wind turbine in Falmouth are raising the possibility that one bad experience could jeopardize Patrick’s state-wide push for wind energy.

Climatide Analysis: Why not to dismiss the health impacts of wind turbines

Curbing Health Complaints Could Wipe Out Financial Benefit
March 17, 2011

A report written by Gerald Potamis, the town of Falmouth’s wastewater superintendent, and presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals was prepared before the Board of Selectmen voted to turn off the turbine when wind speeds exceed 23 miles per hour – a measure aimed at curbing complaints coming from nearby neighbors about health problems they say are caused by noise from the turbine. Potamis has said that move could cost the town $173,000 in annual revenue. If that estimate proves accurate, that would wipe out the net financial benefit provided by the turbine. An example of the financial impact when a town installs a turbine too close to residential homes.

Wind turbines and health: uncertain science, responsible policy
March 16, 2011

An interview by Heather Goldstone who invited David McGlinchey of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to be part of a live chat about what we do and don’t know about the potential health impacts of wind turbines and, importantly, how we move forward to shape responsible siting policies with incomplete science.

Why not to dismiss health impacts of wind turbines
March 12, 2011

The wind energy movement bills itself as an integral part of efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage and curb climate change while helping build the new green energy economy. But complaints about adverse health impacts – loss of sleep, headaches, depression – have surfaced in communities around the world where wind turbines are located in close proximity to homes, including here on Cape Cod. In their efforts to dismiss claims of adverse health impacts caused by nearby wind turbines, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) comes out looking more like big industry than grassroots environmentalist. Here are three reasons not to dismiss arguments for and against dismissing complaints about wind turbines drawn from the environmental movement.

Boston’s WGBH has been doing a series about the noise and health problems people are experiencing in Falmouth, Massachusetts since a big wind turbine began operating in their neighborhood last year. This extensive series provides the public with one of the first honest discussions about the issues associated with siting big wind turbines near people. The series is posted on WGBH’s website called Climatide, which is focused on climate change issues. You can find the series below with links to the series on the WGBH website.

Thank you to WGBH for this thorough discussion of the issues.

Again...
We hope North Kingstown will not follow in the mistaken footsteps of nearby Falmouth, Massachusetts