2018: let’s get going on wind turbine adverse health effects

Ontario: time to do what government should

The Government of Ontario says it’s relying on the “best science” when it comes to research on wind turbine noise emissions and adverse health effects.

They’re not!

 

The Health Canada study was never meant to look at cause and effect, and in fact showed that annoyance (an adverse health effect) was prevalent in a significant portion of the population (16.5% living <1 km from turbines). The raw data — which the government is still not sharing openly — confirms that problems begin well outside Ontario’s unfounded 550-metre setback.
 
Ontario’s own Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a brief literature review in 2010 based on research current to that point in time and said there was no direct link between wind turbine noise and adverse health impacts but again, annoyance was noted, and the CMOH concluded with the note that more work was needed, particularly noise measurement.

Some “best science”: outdated, incomplete, and clearly focused on dodging the issue.

Meanwhile, the research is growing: the range of wind turbine noise emissions includes low frequency noise/infrasound which is a demonstrated cause of health problems.

And doesn’t it make sense that if people can’t sleep because of disturbance from noise and vibration, they are not going to be well?

It is time in 2018 for the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to acknowledge that there are problems with wind turbine noise in Ontario, and to look — honestly — at the causes. Then act.

It’s what government should do.