Letters

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DeWittDailyNews.com welcomes letters to the editor, as a way we can let our readers and listeners sound off on the issues most important to them. If you wish to submit a letter, please note the following guidelines: 
 
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Letter to the Editor on Wind Farm Meeting

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 15, 2018

 

Dear Editor:

 

On October 30, 2018 I received an invitation to attend a landowners meeting hosted by Tradewind Energy. From the letter: “We look forward to sharing some new and exciting information regarding the Alta Farms Wind Project II and let you know what this means for you.” I RSVPed, and when I arrived at the meeting on November 14, 2018, I was told to leave by the Development Director, Tom Swierczewski. He informed me that Tradewind Energy already knew how I felt about the project, and that they had made a mistake in inviting me in the first place. 


I have testified at hearings concerning ordinance changes for the County. My concerns were (and still are) related to setbacks from non-participating landowners, how wildlife and migratory bird routes would be protected, what impact what may be the tallest land turbine towers in the US may have on hunting access and agricultural practices such as aerial spraying, and the potential for light pollution and aircraft safety due to the proposed height of the nearly 600 feet proposed per tower. This tower height is what they have submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval. Their applications can be found under Interim and Determined Cases at this point. Only the meteorological towers have reached the determined stage as yet-https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/gisTools/gisAction.jsp?action=showWtBuildOutToolForm . Tradewind Energy looks at most of these concerns as project killers, and thus I am the enemy now, I suppose.


On Tradewind Energy’s website, they state: “At Tradewind Energy, our commitment is to listen to you, answer your questions honestly, and partner with you to make each project a joint success. We take great care to engineer and construct our projects to minimize impacts and maximize benefits for all involved, giving careful consideration to the needs of landowners and communities.”  https://tradewindenergy.com/wind-landowners/


It was obvious that this is not the case, and the manner in which I was treated after receiving their invitation in the mail, RSVPing and being told “We look forward to seeing you there”, and then being told very bluntly to leave, was crass to say the least. If they had made a mistake in sending invitations to landowners and residents that they had no intention of “sharing new and exciting information” with, then that was their mistake and they handled their response very poorly.

 

When this project was first proposed over 10 years ago, I attended the open house that was held in Heyworth. At that time the door was wide open. This time the door was slammed in my face. What a way to run a business.


Sincerely,
Elizabeth Burns
Clinton, IL 61727
.

Letter to the Editor on Position on Wind Farms

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 2, 2018

 

Dear Editor:

 

I have seen my name lambasted on Facebook for daring to point out the lack of evidence provided by the residents of DeWitt County who oppose the wind farms based upon my testimony at a County Board land use meeting. I based my testimony on scientific fact because I can practice based solely on proven scientific fact and not on fear, hearsay or what we in the health care community call “Dr. Google”.  

 

I presented to the board evidence-based science which can be reproduced and dispels the notion that wind towers cause all sorts of health effects.  In their article http://ijomeh.eu/Evaluation-of-annoyance-from-the-wind-turbine-noise-a-pilot-study,2025,0,2.html, Pawlaczyk-Luszczynska et al concluded that if you have a negative attitude towards wind farms or turbines you are more likely to report negative health effects.  

 

In another research study of those who live around wind farms, Chrichton, Chapman, Cundy et. al stated in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4227478/; “An analysis of the evidence concerning symptom reporting attributed to sound produced by wind farms supports the nocebo expectation hypothesis; that health complaints can be explained by the influence of negative expectations.”  

 

None of these studies have found any direct link of a wind tower causing negative health effects.  These symptoms were brought on by negative expectations which I normally see in patients with stress, anxiety and sometimes paranoia.  I have yet to diagnose anyone with “wind turbine syndrome”.  You may continue to throw your brickbats at me, however I do have scientific evidence on my side.

 

Sincerely,

Sara O'Brien, RN, BSN, MSN, APRN, FNP
 Wapella, Illinois 61777

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