One County Bans Wind Turbines Based on Population Density

This is about how many wind turbines are planned for North East

This is about how many wind turbines were originally planned for North East, now it’s less, or more, the number keeps changing so we can’t be sure

Vestas safety manual recommendations for safe distance from wind turbine

The Marshall County Board of Commissioners in Indiana, voted unanimously to ban commercial wind farms in their county. They recognized the population density was too high for the project to make any sense. Individuals in the county can still build wind turbines on their own property for their own use as long as the height is restricted to 140 feet.

North East has the same issues with population density, forcing the turbines here to be installed in locations much too close to houses, property and people, closer than even the manufacturers of wind turbines say is a safe distance according to their own manuals.

Safe or convenient?

Pioneer Green Energy stated in a handout available at a recent supervisors meeting, “Modern wind turbines need be no more than 1000 feet from occupied dwellings,” though they failed to back up that statement with any data or documentation of any kind. Is there some data that shows that to be true? The number seems to come up frequently when wind developers are selling their projects, but no one can figure out what it’s based on.

If you can’t do it safe, don’t do it at all

At the last planning meeting, the representative of the wind developer said requiring a setback of more than 1000 feet would mean we were trying to “zone them out.” We believe that if the developer is not willing or able to abide by manufacturer safety recommendations, then they are effectively zoning themselves out.

We would also stress to township officials, that if the township allows turbines to be installed at less than a safe distance, as recommended by wind turbine manufacturers, then residents will need an explanation as to how and why that decision was made. We will also need to see the data and documentation officials used to justify ignoring the manufacturer’s own safety guidelines.

These kinds of safety issues come to the forefront when trying to shoehorn wind turbines into areas too populated to install them at a proper distance. One county in Indiana finally put their foot down and said no. The supervisors here may wish to consider that decision when making up their own minds. North East Township is not the place for a project like this. Be safe, be smart, say no.

Another thing I must point out is that you cannot prove a vague theory wrong. … Also, if the process of computing the consequences is indefinite, then with a little skill any experimental results can be made to look like the expected consequences.

~ Richard Feynman, 1964