Letters - Sept. 24, 2009

Seen the light

After Whitman County planners spent almost two years developing an ordinance for commercial wind turbines, with the County Planner conferring extensively with pro-wind people on the wording, the wind developers still aren’t satisfied. What a surprise.

The public meeting brought out a massive turnout of out-of-the-county “Wind Now” people, who have a dog in the hunt. I have now finally realized I’ve been wrong all along. Proposed commercial wind farms in Whitman County are not for producing electricity. They are for putting money in the County coffers, providing a very few jobs, helping the local economy for a brief period of time, but most importantly, giving a few farmers another subsidy.

I always thought it strange that no one ever did any calculating to find out if wind energy pencils out; you know, return on investment (electricity produced compared to dollars invested). There’s a good reason no one has ever done the math. At the public meeting, it became crystal clear to me. What a Country! A few people get rich from the taxes and high electric rates paid by the masses. Is that the new American dream?

Rick Kiesz, Thornton

Noise pollution

Wind power advocates claim that there is no problem with placing industrial wind turbines near homes.

These advocates have stood under an industrial wind turbine for twenty minutes without detecting a noise pollution problem.

From this experience, these advocates have leaped to the conclusion that there is never a noise pollution problem with industrial wind turbines.

These advocates err in their logic.

The noise pollution problem of industrial wind turbines is most noticeable at night and downwind from the turbines, not directly under one of them.

Some people are oblivious to low frequency noise pollution. Others are so bothered by low frequency noise that they are unable to sleep because of it.

State law does not protect people from low frequency noise pollution. The State noise control law protects people from hearing loss.

Across the nation and the globe, industrial wind turbines have been placed too close to homes and people have been harmed because of it. This is a fact.

If Whitman County allows industrial wind turbines to be close to residential property, families will be harmed. There is no question about it.

It would be prudent to start with at least a 3,300 foot buffer zone between residential property and industrial wind turbines.

Roger Whitten, Oakesdale