Public Service =
Commission of=20
Wisconsin (PSC)
|
| Submitted: 7/1/2010 12:19:07 =
PM |
| |
| COMMENTS FILED ELECTRONICALLY =
IN |
| |
| Wind Siting Rules |
1-AC-231 |
| |
| Commentor Information: |
| Name: |
James Vollmer |
| Address: |
w2486 county rd q |
| City: |
=
malone State:WI Zip:53049 | =
|
| |
| Comment: |
Dear PSC,
Since the wind towers were put =
into=20
operation I have experienced several problems. For starters I =
have had=20
problems with my TV reception, for example the screen locks up =
while you=20
are watching a program and the sound does not match the picture =
on the=20
screen. They have come out and replaced the dish itself twice =
and the=20
receiver 3 times each time the problems are not resolved. With =
the old=20
antenna I had no problems and was able to receive local weather =
stations=20
during severe weather situations. The current dish does not =
receive=20
these local stations and does not work in the severe weather in =
order to=20
keep myself up to date during severe weather conditions all I =
get during=20
bad weather is a blue screen saying lost signal.
I also have =
concerns about my radio reception. I am not able to get the =
station in=20
that I normally listen to and the ones that I do get cut in and =
out when=20
the turbine is in operation. I can no longer sit in my shop and =
listen=20
to the music and reports that I normally would because of the =
bad=20
reception. The wind tower company came out and gave me a radio =
that they=20
claim is the best on the market and yet I still have the same =
problems.=20
They later came along with a satellite radio witch works but I =
am only=20
allowed to have one radio when I currently have several. I am =
told to=20
move the radio from spot to spot just so I can listen to =
uninterrupted=20
radio. Why should I be expected to only have one good radio when =
every=20
one that does not live with turbines can by an average radio to =
listen=20
to and if I want to have several radios I have to by an =
expensive radio=20
and a satellite package just to use it!!
I currently have a =
cell=20
phone witch I use as my primary phone. There were no problems =
using=20
these phones in this area before the windmills were put up and =
now the=20
signal will cut in and out on given days. How is a person =
supposed to=20
carry on a simple conversation or even in a life threatening =
situation=20
call out for help?
Flicker form the blades of a windmill are =
also=20
very disturbing. If the flicker is happening early in the =
morning the=20
effects will act like a strobe light in your room and wake a =
person from=20
sleep. Their fix to this problem is to put up blinds threw out a =
person`s house. I do not care for this fix at all. Why should I =
cover up=20
my windows? If I did not want to look out of my windows why even =
pay to=20
have them installed in the first place. I have also raised =
chickens for=20
the last 20 year from witch I collect eggs to eat and hatch baby =
chicks=20
from. During the past winter I noticed that my birds stopped egg =
production and went into a molt during the middle of the winter =
witch is=20
not normal. Normally the bird will not molt until spring or =
fall. I=20
discovered that the flicker form the windmill was happening =
while I was=20
at work. Stress like this will force a bird to go into a molt =
witch is=20
what happened in my case and will happen for years to come. =
Another=20
problem with the windmills is the sound that is made by the =
blades=20
passing by the main tower. This is very annoying while a person =
is=20
trying to sleep. During the summer I would normally open the =
windows on=20
a warm day and allow the wind to blow threw the house and keep =
it=20
comfortable. Now I can not fall asleep because of the noise and =
forced=20
to close the windows and turn on the A/C. Also Even if I wanted =
to leave=20
the windows open the blinds have to be pulled so I am not =
bothered by=20
the shadow flicker. In return the room darkening blinds they =
have=20
installed will not allow air movement threw the blinds because =
of there=20
construction!
I tried to sell my house in the last year with =
a=20
realtor but was not able to even get a counter offer on the =
place.=20
Instead I was told by the people that they were concerned about =
the wind=20
turbines and did not hear back from them again. How can the =
turbine=20
companies say that the property value in not affected it =
definitely is=20
after all would you spend the money on a house after you listen =
to=20
several people in the area talk about problems and read about =
the=20
problems in the paper and internet?
Next there are the =
problems with=20
my birds. Last year I was having problems with my birds dying in =
the=20
summer. I sent in a couple of birds that had died in order to =
find out=20
what the problems were and treat the birds. The birds were sent =
to=20
Madison and were tested. They found that they had coccidia witch =
I tried=20
to treat them for. I tried the medication that was recommended, =
but the=20
birds did not get better. I later had the birds retested and =
they were=20
still high with coccidia. I asked the vet but they had now =
ideas. I then=20
sold several of the bird to a customer and took the some by my =
parent=20
house to raise. The birds that were not to far along with the =
disease=20
made a complete recovery and survived. During the first three =
days after=20
the birds were move it was noticed that they sleep almost all =
day. I=20
then watched the remaining birds and noticed that they were on =
edge most=20
of the time and would rarely sleep. This is the reason that my =
birds=20
were not able to get better it was because they were not able to =
sleep=20
due to the noise. This spring I also once again had problems =
with my=20
birds laying due to the shadow effects on the barn. I later =
moved the=20
birds to the inside wall of the main barn behind a wall and was =
finally=20
able to collect eggs for hatching. When I started to hatch the =
eggs I=20
was startled to find that some of the birds were coming out with =
all=20
kinds of weird birth defects. I had a variety of problems like =
missing=20
eyes, eyes sticking out of their head, twisted beaks, deformed =
heads,=20
and malformed legs. I later found a study that was done by the =
United=20
States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory on the Effects of =
Vibration=20
and Amplitude on Developing Chicken Embryos. This study I found =
on the=20
internet at HTTP://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ada288517 . This study =
goes=20
into great depth and the procedure they used in the study of how =
the=20
birds hatch rates were diminished from low frequency vibration. =
It also=20
caused the same birth defects that I struggled with. I have =
raised=20
several thousand birds over the years and have never experienced =
these=20
problems. The local vets have never seen this type of problem =
and do not=20
know what to do next. I was contacted by Ron Kien (Wisconsins =
Poultry=20
Expert I am told) on the PSC`s behalf and went into discussion =
of the=20
problems I was having and when I showed him this report I never =
heard=20
back again. Dave Hanson at the department of trade a consumer =
protection=20
agency also had Paul Dyke the area Ag rep contact me and have =
not heard=20
back since.
The wild life that was once in our area has =
started to=20
leave. I have not seen a barn swallow make a nest in the rafters =
of my=20
house since they put up the wind mill. Before I could count up =
to 22=20
different nests around the house filled with little one now I =
see none.=20
At night I had horned barn owls flying around my building =
and=20
landing on the barn roof since the turbines I have not seen a =
single owl=20
around. The only wild life they have not scared of are these =
pesky=20
mosquitoes witch the barn swallows would eat. I no longer have =
to worry=20
about deer crossing in front of me since they have mostly =
disappeared=20
into other areas around us. If this does not raise a few red =
flags what=20
will?
I myself have had problems sleeping at night. I have =
been=20
forced to take drugs and put ear plugs in just to fall asleep at =
nigh=20
and get some rest. I still am not able to get a good nights =
rest. Last=20
fall I was not able to hear out of my ears. I went to the doctor =
and was=20
told that I had allergies. I took the medication but it took =
over a=20
month to get over the problem and there for believe it was not =
allergies=20
or the problem would have gone away right away. Why do I have to =
suffer=20
with these problems after all I bought a house in the country to =
get=20
away from the noise. I feel that my rights as a home owner have =
been=20
greatly over looked just so that some large company with a lot =
of money=20
can make even more money of my well being.
Why is the PSC =
even=20
considering another wind farm when they have not cleaned up the =
mess=20
from the last wind farm? When are they going to take care of my=20
problems? When are they going to do some sound studies that are =
not=20
created buy these wind giants that so many people believe are =
faulty. If=20
the noise tests were accurate then why do they refuse to do =
another=20
study with public involvement. The truth is there are problems =
and as=20
long as they are not forced to be enfored by the PSC they will =
continue=20
to scam people.
I have submitted several other concerns over =
the=20
past two years yet no one has even come out to check on the =
problems.=20
This proves that they are only in it for the money and are not =
concerned=20
for the American citizens like me!!
Sincerely, =
James=20
Vollmer |
| |
I affirm that these comments are true and correct to the best of =
my=20
knowledge and belief.
James=20
Vollmer |