Turbines brought negative change

To the editor:

We’ve been in our home for 44 years, and over that time there has been numerous changes to the neighborhood, Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which produce the overbearing stench of manure and flies, grain trucks traveling from the grain elevator to the ethanol plant and new homes. That is life, neighborhoods change. But with the addition of the wind turbines we are experiencing something altogether different and more damaging.

My daughter, who served on the Indiana Wind Working Group Committee, warned us over 10 years ago that wind farms would be moving into our neighborhood soon, and we were OK with that as supporters of alternative energy. But that was then, we thought there would be community involvement regarding their placement and the effects that we might experience having them in our area. We attempted to get involved in the meetings and learn more from the property owners already identified as recipients of the turbines, but were shut out at every turn.

So we were surprised to learn that there would be a turbine placed within 1,600 feet of our home and not be given proper notice. No policies or ordinances about how this would affect future development of our property or sale was provided to us by the county. There were no notices of potential health issues that these turbines might cause by being so close to a residence. We doubt that the county did any proper due diligence to ensure what the safe distance from a residence should be and if other communities were experiencing health-related issues.

The turbine has completely changed our way of life for the worse. From the moment they first started the turbine we have been negatively impacted by the noise, starting up it sounded like a 747 airplane engine. The turbine makes a loud screeching noise as it turns searching for the direction of the wind. There is a continual whooshing sound as the blades turn. A study by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which is composed of several state studies, concluded “… there is some evidence that nighttime wind turbine noise can cause sleep disturbance. Generally, sleep disturbance can adversely affect mood, cognitive functioning, and one’s overall sense of health and well-being.”

The turbine’s blades create what is referred to as a light flicker from when the sunlight hits them as they spin.

When the sunlight is on the opposite of the blade, then the blade causes a shadow flicker.  The flicker comes through our living room French door and hits us in the face as we sit on our sofa. Additionally, there is the constant blinking of the red safety lights. We have trouble sleeping, ringing in our ears, fatigue and headaches since the arrival of the turbine. The turbine company did offer to mitigate the flicker and safety light issue by paying for the installation of interior window shutters and shutters for the french door, but this would make us feel closed off from the world that we used to enjoy through our windows and patio door. Additionally, our home currently does not have air conditioning as we have never needed it, but if we were to add the recommended shutters, then we would definitely have to buy an air conditioner to survive the summer heat — one more cost and life change that we should not have to bear.

The wind turbine company did provide us with a new TV antenna because the turbine was causing interference with our antenna reception, however, we are still limited to only Indianapolis stations, but prior to the wind turbine we received Fort Wayne, Dayton and others as well as Indianapolis.

This is not the life that we had in mind when we moved here 44 years ago.

Virginia Burkey

Rural Ridgeville in Jay County