Seminar on Wind Turbine Noise
GLASGOW 22nd September 2017
El ruido de los aerogeneradores próximos a las casas puede causar a sus habitantes irritación y angustia, pero no pueden explicarse los serios efectos negativos sobre la salud que muchas comunidades están experimentando. Estas incluyen vértigos, nauseas, fatiga, dolores de cabeza o cuello, sangrado de la nariz. Hay ya abundantes evidencias de que la verdadera causa de tales síntomas son los ruidos no audibles de los aerogeneradores; esto es, los muy altos niveles de infrasonidos emitidos por los aparatos. La industria de los aerogeneradores lo niega constantemente, y afirma que el disgusto de los vecinos de parques eólicos es debido no a factores acústicos sino psicológicos “ incremento de las molestias”. SSE (Scottish y Southern Electricity), al haber construido incluso mayores y más potentes aerogeneradores aún más próximos a las comunidades de Fairlie y Millport, ha contribuido a aportar incluso mayores evidencias de que los perjuicios de los infrasonidos de los aerogeneradores son fisiológicos y no psicológicos.
The noise from wind turbines built close to homes may cause their occupants irritation and distress, but cannot possibly explain the serious adverse health effects that many communities are now experiencing. These include vertigo, nausea, fatigue, pounding in the head or chest, nose bleeds. There is already abundant evidence that the true cause of such symptoms is not the audible turbine noise at all; it is the very high levels of infrasound emitted by the turbines. The wind energy industry consistently denies this, and claims that wind farm neighbours allow the intensity of their dislike of turbines due to "non-acoustic factors" to psychologically cause them "enhanced annoyance". SSE (Scottish and Southern Electricity) have, by building even larger, more powerful wind turbines so close to the communities of Fairlie and Millport, provided even stronger evidence that the harm from wind turbine infrasound is physiological, not psychological.
Susan Crosthwaite (former chair of CATS – Communities Against Turbines Scotland, and tourism specialist, UK)
Spokeswoman for the UK
Cosses Country House
Ballantrae, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK. KA26 0LR
Seminar on Wind Turbine Noise
WIND TURBINE NOISE RADISSON BLU GLASGOW 22nd September 2017
Seminar review and up date.
Speakers left to right: Dr J Yelland, Melvin Grosvenor, Professor M Alves Pereria, M Patrick Dugast.
Presentations:
Melvin Grosvenor Independent Noise Working Group (INWG)
M Patrick Dugast LCF Acoustique Expert Acoustique et Vibrations Dr John Yelland MA DPhil (Oxon) MInstP FIET MIOA AMASA Professor Mariana Alves Pereira. PhD
Melvin Grosvenor representing INWG and affected communities, relayed official responses contained in recent correspondence to concerned residents, from the UK Government, Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (DBEIS), The Scottish Government, Energy and Climate Change Directorate, (ECCD), NHS Ayrshire & Arran, (NHS A& A) Health Protection Scotland, which broadly conclude that:
"there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise generated by wind turbines"
These combined responses cited reports and studies, including an extract in the letter from (ECCD) taken from the Institute of Acoustics (IoA) Bulletin 2009, co authored by named acousticians'.
Affected residents have been passed from pillar to post and back again: taking the advice offered by NHS S A & A to consult their GP's, and on doing so state that their GP's response is that they have little or no guidance or medical references to diagnose "wind turbine syndrome" .
In addition NHS A & A refer to North Ayrshire Council's (NAC) Environmental Health assessments, which they conclude that in the case of the SSE's Hunterston turbines, these are operating within noise limits set by planning conditions and that SSE have conducted low frequency monitoring which meets current guidance.
Both Dr Yelland and Professor Alves Pereira's evidence demonstrated that current low frequency & infrasound monitoring is not fit for purpose, as the equipment deployed is not designed to record within the specific lower frequency ranges required to find evidence of infrasound impacts.
The Hunterston case is indicative of many other wind turbine complaints, where affected residents find no resolution through consented noise emission planning conditions or compliance monitoring, to check for breaches in planning conditions.
NAC Environmental Health latest response to adverse health complaints by residents attributed to infrasound and LFN stated;
“I would again request that in future, issues relating to your health be directed towards your GP/NHS rather than Environmental Health.
Environmental Health will only investigate complaints of excessive noise amounting to a statutory nuisance”.
The presentations by Dr. John Yelland, visiting experienced French Acoustician Patrick Dugast and Professor Mariana Alves Pereira, provided convincing evidence that there is a significant failure to provide adequate protection to an increasing number of affected people, which includes children and in some cases various species of animals.
Professor Alves Pereria gave a detailed presentation of her research since the 1980's, that harmful infrasound emissions are not only propagated by wind turbines but other industrial sources & processes i.e., coal mining and grain dryers etc.,.
This evidence is contrary to the sources of information and guidance relied upon by all of the official bodies listed in Melvin Grosvenor's presentation, who are tasked to provide adequate protection from harm to residents living in the proximity of wind turbines, be it single turbines or large scale wind farms.
Dr Yelland also highlighted the significant concern expressed by INWG and others, that affected residents are complaining merely because they are simply annoyed by the sight of wind turbines which can be attributed to a nebulous "nocebo effect" or other "non acoustic factors".
During the Q & A session several members of the audience relayed their experiences, including those who have already had to abandon their homes.
It was reported that only when the turbines are switched off or sufferers are away from their local area of impact, is there any respite from the serious health impacts they are suffering.
However on their return, affected residents are reporting when subjected to further exposure, their suffering increases in intensity and takes longer to ameliorate. There are cases where prolonged and continuous exposure causes victims to regularly flee from their homes.
Professor Alves Pereira also presented evidence that this prolonged exposure is linked to incremental harm evidenced by a wider range of symptoms, these have been reported to include, loss of balance, nausea, loss of coordination, a pressure in the ear, thumping in the head or chest, urinary and bowel incontinence, epistaxis (high volume nosebleeds), severe coughs and increase in chest complaints.
Melvin Grosvenor stated that this serious issue, "cannot be swept under the carpet and there is an urgent need for truly Independent, transparent and credible research which gains the confidence of existing victims".
"Victims need to be listened to and believed. Public Health needs to recognise Wind Turbine Syndrome, Vibro Accoutic Disease and all the associated symptoms so that GPs and consultants can provide the right treatment and not waste time and money searching for ‘causes’ that do not exist".
"New Guidance is long overdue on the safe separation distance from wind turbines to any home. No one should be used as collateral damage".
It is also clear that the extremely constrained and time-limited research exercise in the case of residents at Hunterston, conducted by NHS A & A, predominantly searching for increase in cases of dizziness and nausea (along with the stated position of Health Protection Scotland) was significantly undermined by the compelling evidence presented at the Seminar.
Professor Mariana Alves-Pereira Ph.D. stated, “It is encouraging to see that Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise is getting wider recognition as an agent of disease”.
For further information on speakers and INWG see:
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