Wisconsin's Draft Model Wind Ordinance (click here to read ordinance), after years of complaints from Wisconsin's citizens, continues to recommend inadequate setbacks :
1) From an inhabited structure of a distance no less than the greater of 2 times the its total height or 1000ft"
2) Each wind turbine shall be setback from the nearest property line a distance no less than 1.1 times its total height.
3) Each wind turbine shall be setback from the nearest public road a distance no less that 1.1 times its total height.
"Do not stay within a radius of 400m (1300ft) from the turbine unless it is necessary. If you have to inspect an operating turbine from the ground, do not stay under the rotor plane but observe the rotor from the front.
In case of a fire during an uncontrolled operation, do under no circumstances approach the turbine.
Evacuate and rope off the turbine in a radius of minimum 400m (1300ft).
Make sure that children do not stay by or play nearby the turbine.
HOW, can our state legislators justify allowing these unsafe conditions for residents of this state who will have to live in these conditions 24/7, when the manufacturer is telling its own operators and technicians to stay 1300ft away?
Using the 1.1 times the height from a property line, and the 471ft tall turbines proposed for theTwin Creeks Wind Farms, the turbines would be only 518ft from property lines. According to the Vestas Safey Manual, that is taking 782ft of our property (if we have that much) and making it unsafe, even for it's operators and technicians. This should be considered a takings of property rights.
This in fact means, if a turbine is 518ft from a property line, an operator would have to get permission from a neighboring property owner so as to stay outside of the 1300ft safe setback.
If a turbine catches fire, it is quite obvious that your home located only 1000ft from the turbine would have to be evacuated.
This is more proof that using these inadequate setbacks, makes it impossible for any Wisconsin resident that is forced to live next to a wind farm, to be safe in their home or on their property.
The Vestas manual was submitted with the application for the Roxbury/Stamford
project.
The original application for the project contained the entire O & M manual. The application states use of the V90 3MW with a rotor blade length of 44m (147.6ft), placed on 80m (262ft ) towers, for a total height of 410 ft.
At a Roxbury Planning Board meeting (they are the lead agency for this
project) the issue of the safety set-back recommendations for Vestas
workers was brought to the Board's attention. Of course, the developer,
Invenergy, was also present. Neither had any comment that night.
Within a week, that portion of the Application and DEIS (which was on line)
requested it as it was proprietary information. Odd, that safety
regulations are proprietary, but very specific technical data is not!
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We believe it is quite obvious that a 1300-foot setback from neighboring property lines, roads, etc. should be the absolute minimum for personal safety purposes. This setback however, does not adequatley address noise, signal interference, shadow flicker, strobe lighting, etc., all of which warrant longer setbacks from residences and other sensitive receptors from everything we have seen.