Subject: My personal experience living in a wind =
farm=20
My name is Joe Yunk; I currently reside at the address =
of N2630=20
Townhall Rd in Kewaunee County. My prior address was North 7905 =
County=20
Trunk P, Algoma, Wisconsin which was in the Wisconsin Public =
Service=20
(WPS) wind farm by Rio Creek, Wisconsin. I moved from the Algoma =
address=20
to my current address on or about October 2009 to get away from =
the=20
effects of the WPS wind farm.
I have been following the =
current=20
proposed Element Power LLC (EEP) wind farm development that I =
now find=20
myself living in. I want you to know what I went through while =
living in=20
the WPS wind farm. I am hopeful that this information will help =
you make=20
the right decisions with regard to any PSCW approvals for any =
other wind=20
farms in Wisconsin. I would hate to see other peoples lives to =
be as=20
negatively affected as mine has been as a result of living in a =
wind=20
farm. There is no doubt in my mind that I will relive the awful=20
experience once again if the EEP wind farm for Kewaunee County =
is=20
approved.
In 1998 the WPS wind farm construction began =
about 300=20
yards from my home. I had built this home in 1980 on 6.5 acres =
of land=20
which was our home farm that I lived on all my life. I was born =
on=20
November 28, 1954. I had two turbines within one-half mile, one =
of those=20
turbines was about 1,300 ft from my house and 600 ft from my =
property=20
line.
In the summer of 2000, the turbines of the WPS =
wind farm=20
began operation. In as much as I had lived on this farm all my =
life, I=20
knew the neighbors well, and it wasn`t long after the turbines =
began=20
operating our lives began to change. In conversations with my =
neighbors,=20
I learned, they too were experiencing constant disturbing noise, =
shadow=20
flicker and just the constant presence of the turbines. By =
presence I=20
felt uneasy and irritated by the size and closeness of these 220 =
ft.=20
turbines.
All the people living in this wind farm were =
guinea=20
pigs / lab rats, no one knew what we were in for. It was in the =
fall of=20
2000 when neighbors and families began to divide over the =
effects of the=20
wind farm. And that continued thoughout the time I lived there.=20
When the turbines began to operate, a hotline was =
established=20
directly to WPS to report any problems. I had beef cattle for =
about two=20
years prior to the turbines operating and never lost any =
animals.=20
However, shortly after the turbines began to operate, I had beef =
cattle=20
become ill and die. I reported this on the WPS hotline and =
nothing was=20
done. I lost ten animals valued at $5,000 over a two year period =
and=20
couldn`t afford to continue.
Because of noise complaints =
to WPS,=20
within a year, two families` homes were purchased by WPS and =
demolished.=20
Additionally, at the same time WPS was settling nuisance suits =
with=20
other neighbors. They were offering to buy out my neighbors but =
offered=20
prices way below market value to stop the complaints. However, =
they=20
never offered me any buyout opportunity and I wanted out! It was =
hard=20
for me to leave my home place of 54 years. Over time, however, =
living=20
with the constant sleep deprivation and irritation of the noise =
and=20
flickering I decided to sue WPS to have them pay me fair market =
value=20
for my home so I could afford to move.
I knew that I was =
might=20
be risking everything I had worked for all my life, but I didn`t =
care at=20
this point. I didn`t even try to sell my place outright because =
I didn`t=20
want anyone else to have to live as I did in this wind farm. I =
really=20
wanted WPS to buy me out and to demolish the home.
I =
retained an=20
attorney and filed suit with WPS. Shortly after, WPS offered me =
$110,000=20
on my property that appraised for $168,000. I decided not to =
take their=20
offer, but proceed with the suit. I gave deposition in the =
summer of=20
2008, we were scheduled to go trail in September 2009 and WPS =
offered me=20
a settlement in August of 2009 for $163,000. With this =
settlement I was=20
responsible for my attorney fees. My attorney advised me to =
accept this=20
offer. After paying my attorney fees, I ended up with $158,000.=20
Later, my home and property were listed with a real =
estate=20
agency for sale by WPS for 30% below the appraised value. =
From=20
my experience in living in this wind farm, it is apparent that =
setback=20
away from property lines is absolutely necessary. I could hear =
the=20
turbines a mile away from my house. The PSCW`s standard setback =
from a=20
property line should be 1.5 miles.
Now, my new home and =
property=20
on Townhall road is within the confines of the EPP proposed wind =
farm.=20
I`d like to know what you recommend I do now?
Contact me =
at=20
920-304-6239
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