Wind Farms Make Bad Neighbors

Wind Turbines....

--Are not economical.  They are enormously subsidized by the state and federal government (your tax dollars).  In 2010 the EIA reported that Federal subsidies for wind energy alone exceeded the combined subsidies for all other conventional power sources.. 

--Increase electricity rates.  Denmark has the highest wind implementation in the world. The average residential US cost for electricity is 10¢ per kilowatt. In Denmark it is 35¢.    

--Will not make the U.S. energy independent.  Only about 1% of the electricity in the U.S. comes from oil. 

--Will not cause coal powered plants to be shut down.  Since wind is neither steady nor reliable, ALL wind energy developments require augmented power sources, typically from fossil fuel such as coal and natural gas, and in some areas from nuclear or hydroelectric energy. 

--Can cause value of property within sight of a turbine to decrease by 30%±.

--Are a visual blight on rural landscapes.  The turbines are up to 450 feet tall.  That’s like having 40-story buildings all across the county’s rural and undeveloped areas, much of which is prime farmland.

--Kill bats and birds--including the Indiana bat, an endangered species. Bats migrate and their deaths alone are estimated by independent experts to cause national agricultural losses in the tens of millions of dollars.

--Cause health problems from noise and shadow flicker.  Worldwide, people consistently report disturbed sleep, headaches, sleeplessness, ringing in ears, dizziness and vertigo, memory and concentration problems, irritability, and depression.  Cases are well documented and the governments of other countries are now seriously taking health effects from wind turbines into account when legislating. Animals reportedly suffer from health effects as well. Wild animals leave areas near wind turbines.

--Prevent use of crop dusters and lifeline helicopters.  Turbulence from the turbines makes it too dangerous for planes and helicopters to fly in the footprint of the wind farm.  These pilots will not fly within two miles of wind turbines.

--Are a hazard to Firefighters and EMS crews. 

Fires at wind turbines cannot be fought safely. And if a blade breaks while the turbine is operating, its fragments can be thrown 1200 ft or more. With up to 500 gal. of flammable fluids in the boxes high above ground, the dangers to public safety, first responder safety,  the environment and ground water are all legitimate concerns.

This project has been adopted by the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund (LMEF).  If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution toward this defense, please send your check, made payable to LMEF, with a notation written on the check “wind turbine project.”  You can drop off or mail your check to the office at 116 N. Main St., P.O. Box 187, Culver, IN 46511

CONCERNED PROPERTY OWNERS OF SOUTHERN MARSHALL COUNTY

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