{"id":23042,"date":"2012-09-08T13:09:26","date_gmt":"2012-09-08T17:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/static\/?p=23042"},"modified":"2012-09-08T13:11:27","modified_gmt":"2012-09-08T17:11:27","slug":"lives-destroyed-by-wind-turbines-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/2012\/lives-destroyed-by-wind-turbines-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Lives destroyed by wind turbines (Ontario)"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Medical issues became serious to the\u00a0point of being potentially fatal”<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Editor’s note<\/em>: The following narrative is taken from a formal submission to Health Canada’s current study of wind turbine impacts on human health. The submission was made by Carmen Krogh on behalf of the narrator, a woman who has asked to remain anonymous. Click here<\/a> to read the entire submission.<\/p>\n

For the last four years our lives have been thrown into turmoil by unsafe industrial\u00a0wind turbines that were built too close to our home.<\/p>\n

When we first began to notice the physiological effects that the wind turbine\u00a0emissions were having on our bodies, we felt as though we just needed to make the\u00a0authorities aware of the issue and then there would be a good faith effort to address\u00a0it and resolve it. Instead, considerable time and resources, both private and public,\u00a0have been used to deny that a problem even exists. In some cases, the contention\u00a0has been made that all negative effects being experienced are caused by us, and are\u00a0our fault.<\/p>\n

In good faith, we have participated in the processes of the Ontario Ministry of the\u00a0Environment and other authorities. There has been no recognition, no mitigation,\u00a0and no resolution offered. As the wind turbines continued to operate, one as close\u00a0as 400 metres away from our home, the effects of sleep disturbance compounded;\u00a0our health continued to decline, and certain medical issues became serious to the\u00a0point of being potentially fatal. One of the medical issues that I was experiencing\u00a0was uterine blood haemorrhaging. I had lost so much blood that I found myself in\u00a0the Emergency Room of the local hospital, on the brink of having a stroke. At that\u00a0time, it was obvious, beyond any doubt that we could not continue to live at our\u00a0home.<\/p>\n

Since May 2010, we have been renting safe houses to stay at while we continue to\u00a0maintain our home, including paying the mortgage, property taxes, hydro and\u00a0insurance which totals approximately $1200 per month. The expenses for our rental\u00a0house alone have totalled approximately $30,000 over the last 28 months. The\u00a0financial burden has been extremely stressful. It is worsened by the fact that we are\u00a0deprived of the amenities and comforts of our “home.” When the stress and the\u00a0sadness become overwhelming, we remind ourselves of how lucky we are that we\u00a0have been to be able to leave our home. We know that for some, this is not an\u00a0option.<\/p>\n

The following are some details regarding medical treatments received by one member of our family since the commencement of operation of industrial wind\u00a0turbines near our home. \u00a0In the 42-month period between April 2009 and September 2012:<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a033 appointments with family doctor. (By comparison, throughout the 50-month period\u00a0between February 2005 and April 2009, there were a total of 9 visits to\u00a0family doctor.)<\/p>\n

In addition to visiting my family physician:<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Sleep investigation at sleep disorders clinics (2)<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Investigation by specialists in otolaryngology, audiology, heart and stroke,\u00a0vascular, neurology, internal medicine<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Ultrasounds, CT scans and other procedures<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Surgical procedures (3)<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Magnetic Resonance Imaging (head) (2)<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Heart monitoring<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Stress test<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Numerous EKG’s, blood work<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Emergency room visits (3)<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span>\u00a0Other consultations<\/p>\n

For the last four years, every action of every day has in some way been affected by\u00a0this disruption to our home life. We have been forced to make life changing\u00a0decisions because of the imposition of industrial wind turbines into our homes.<\/p>\n

Our ability to make rational decisions has been precluded by the inconsistent\u00a0messages and actions of authorities. We have watched as the discourse has shifted\u00a0from the absolute denial that wind turbines cause harm to human health, towards\u00a0the recognition that sleep disturbance and other health effects are “expected” to be\u00a0experienced by a “nontrivial percentage of persons…” or “15 percent of a population\u00a0exposed…” etc. We do not think it is reasonable that authorities have not taken\u00a0urgent, drastic measures to address the harm that is being reported by Canadians\u00a0and to prevent it from happening to others.<\/p>\n

Much of the stress of our situation has been exacerbated by the strain on social\u00a0relationships. Obviously someone who possesses no expertise on the issue is not\u00a0qualified to opine on the health hazard or our health status. However, this has not\u00a0prevented members of the public (including landowners participating in the wind\u00a0turbine project that surrounds our home) from aggressively pushing their points of\u00a0view. For example, we continuously hear statements such as:<\/p>\n

The wind turbines are not causing harm to your health.”<\/p>\n

“They are not going to shut the wind turbines down.”<\/p>\n

“They should not shut the wind turbines down.”<\/p>\n

“You should sell your house and move on.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These are not helpful statements, and trying to find one’s place in the community is\u00a0complicated by how hurtful these kinds of comments are. It is very clear to us–in\u00a0fact, it cannot be denied–that the wind turbines around our home are hazardous to\u00a0our health. It is not reasonable that we should be expected to be able to make\u00a0decisions when what we know to be true is being denied by others who are not\u00a0qualified to hold opinions.<\/p>\n

Very early in the process we realized that the authorities were not engaged in a\u00a0good faith effort to understand and mitigate the situation. We had no other\u00a0recourse but to launch a civil claim against the owner\/operator of the industrial\u00a0wind turbines. The claims relate to negligence, nuisance, trespass, strict liability and\u00a0Rylands and Fletcher. The claim seeks an injunction and damages for losses incurred.<\/p>\n

The stress of pursuing a legal claim, in addition to the other stresses of our lives\u00a0presently is overwhelming. We are aware that it is unrealistic for us to expect that\u00a0we can afford to pursue the claim against a defendant who is part of a billion-dollar,\u00a0industrial, energy complex that has the support of the Ontario government and\u00a0others, and which cannot afford to have a precedent set in court that enjoins the\u00a0operation of a wind turbine project because of its hazardous nature. It is our\u00a0expectation that Canadian governments should endeavour to recognize known\u00a0health hazards and take actions to protect the health of Canadians. There should be\u00a0a minimum safe standard for the separation distance between an industrial wind\u00a0turbine and a home. We feel that it has become increasingly clear that 400 metres is\u00a0not an adequate separation distance for an industrial wind turbine from a family’s\u00a0home. We do not feel that it is reasonable that we should have to have this\u00a0recognized in a court; this is a matter of public policy that should have been\u00a0addressed long ago.<\/p>\n

Over the last several years we have met and communicated with many others whose\u00a0lives have been impacted by the imposition of industrial wind turbines close to their\u00a0homes, or close to the homes of their friends and families. These people consistently\u00a0feel overwhelmed and isolated. While some may have the choice to leave, some do\u00a0not. It is very discomforting to realize that there could be children who are being\u00a0harmed by nearby wind turbines, where parents may not understand what is\u00a0happening or are unable to take action to protect the children.<\/p>\n

We know many people whose financial security depends on their ability to live at\u00a0and use their homes. For rural residents especially there is an unquantifiable\u00a0difference between “property value” and a property’s “market value.” Property\u00a0value relates to our ability to enjoy and use property to live, earn income, grow\u00a0food, age-in-place, and enjoy leisure time. For some, market value is irrelevant until\u00a0it is necessary to sell, which to many rural residents, is never part of the plan.<\/p>\n

In many rural communities where wind turbines have been developed, residents\u00a0trace their roots back many generations. Residents are proud of their heritage and\u00a0are committed to the vitality of their communities. Residents are fiercely protective\u00a0of the environment and feel blessed by nature’s abundance. Like many Ontarians,\u00a0we felt as though we lived in the most beautiful part of the Province.<\/p>\n

The conversion of agricultural land to be used for industrial wind turbines changes\u00a0the character of the community. The imposition of these changes without proper\u00a0regard and accounting of all of the environmental effects creates significant burdens\u00a0for rural residents. Across the world, the development of industrial wind turbine\u00a0projects has created conflict in communities. This is not attractive to prospective\u00a0buyers and the stigma is insurmountable. Though the authorities may not officially\u00a0recognize it, industrial wind turbines can be hazardous to human health and can\u00a0totally destroy property value. Citizens are aware of this and react accordingly.<\/p>\n

The Ontario government consistently refers to a 550 metre “minimum” separation\u00a0distance between homes and industrial wind turbines. At our house there are two\u00a0wind turbines less than 550 metres away. If we were to sell we would be obliged to\u00a0disclose the health effects that we experienced and attribute to the wind turbines.<\/p>\n

Obviously the potential pool of buyers for our home is limited by these factors. Why\u00a0should we be forced to sell and incur this loss of equity?<\/p>\n

We know others who are aware or suspect that nearby wind turbines are negatively\u00a0affecting their health, but who cannot afford to lose equity in their homes. They\u00a0become prisoners, and are, in reality, being harmed in their own homes. And while it\u00a0may be one thing when it happens to adults, it is more unacceptable if there are\u00a0children involved.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Medical issues became serious to the\u00a0point of being potentially fatal” Editor’s note: The following narrative is taken from a formal submission to Health Canada’s current study of wind turbine impacts on human health. The submission was made by Carmen Krogh on behalf of the narrator, a woman who has asked to remain anonymous. Click here to read the entire submission. For the last four years our lives have been thrown into turmoil by unsafe industrial\u00a0wind turbines that were built too close to our home. When we first began to notice the physiological effects that the wind turbine\u00a0emissions were having on our bodies, we felt as though we just needed to make the\u00a0authorities aware of the issue and then there would be a good faith effort to address\u00a0it and resolve it. Instead, considerable time and resources, both private and public,\u00a0have been used to deny that a problem even exists. In some cases, the contention\u00a0has been made that all negative effects being experienced are caused by us, and are\u00a0our fault. In good faith, we have participated in the processes of the Ontario Ministry of the\u00a0Environment and other authorities. There has been no recognition, no mitigation,\u00a0and no resolution offered. As the wind turbines continued to operate, one as close\u00a0as 400 metres away from our home, the effects of sleep disturbance compounded;\u00a0our health continued to decline, and certain medical issues became serious to the\u00a0point of being potentially fatal. One of the medical issues that I was experiencing\u00a0was uterine blood haemorrhaging. I had lost so much blood that I found myself in\u00a0the Emergency Room of the local hospital, on the brink of having a stroke. At that\u00a0time, it was obvious, beyond any doubt that we could not continue to live at our\u00a0home. Since May 2010, we have been renting safe houses to stay at whileRead More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[157,168,166,16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23042"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23042\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.windturbinesyndrome.com\/static\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}