Wind turbine health complaints under investigation in Ontario

Not everyone in Huron County supports wind energy growth.

Huron County, Ontario is home to hundreds of wind turbines, and while this form of renewable energy generation may be a plush for the environment, a number of residents have reported negative health impacts from living close to industrial wind turbine farms.

An investigation into the reported health effects is being launched.

The Huron County Health Unit (HCHU) will be conducting an investigation into the reported health effects from wind turbines. This investigation is in response to feedback from numerous Huron County residents reporting negative health impacts resulting from living in close proximity to the massive apparatuses designed to capture energy from wind. Gerry Ryan, an East Huron resident who was part of the group that presented the health concerns to the Health Unit last week, noted that the concerns were well received by health officials, reported Blackburn News. Ryan said that the group “presented 26 health impact statements, they ranged from sleeplessness to headaches to migraines, bloody noses, heart palpitations right across the board.” Ryan explained that the turbines not only produce noise but also what is known as infrasound. This is a type of sound that is usually felt and not heard.

Across the border, many Huron County, Michigan residents are also tired of wind turbine growth.

In Huron County, Michigan, numerous residents are also losing their patience with the wind energy industry and are against adding hundreds more turbines to their existing 328. At a recent meeting, Margo Barry, an Oliver Township resident, told county planners that the “quality of life has been taken away, replaced with a pollution of never-ending noise, shadow flicker, red blinking lights and health issues for many.” Furthermore, the Michigan county has also experienced two wind turbine collapses with the most recent collapse that occurred in late February, currently being investigated. While no one was injured when the massive equipment fell, plenty of concerns and questions have been raised as to why a turbine that was built to withstand hurricane winds and the arctic cold could collapse. An investigation that has been launched to determine the cause is presently underway. As for the Ontario HCHU wind turbine health investigation, the examination into the health concerns will occur in two phases. The first phase will include a launch of an online survey in May to collect information in regard to the number of complaints and/or concerns of residents. The second phase of the investigation, according to Ryan, may involve acoustic testing both outside and inside affected homes.