Emyr Griffiths

Submission to Health Canada Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study, 2012

My wife and I live in a very quiet rural location in Wales (UK). My wife is very sensitive to low frequency noise (LFN), and has been hearing LFN at our home and in many upland locations within a 10-15 mile radius of our home since the winter of 2006.

We have made observations and recorded some data (including noise recordings which show the presence of LFN in our home) over a 5.5 year period, which give us compelling reasons to conclude that LFN emitted by wind farms can travel at least 25-30 miles.

Under some atmospheric conditions, the LFN can be particularly loud for my wife's sensitive hearing, which makes her very tense and agitated. During these periods it is very difficult to get our environmental health officers to come and measure the LFN since they get some many noise complaints during these weather conditions.

Your health study should investigate how far LFN can travel and how people further away from wind turbines may be affected.

You should also pay particular attention to people whose hearing is particularly sensitive to LFN, as they may be the "canaries in the coal mines" in giving early warnings about future health problems associated with audible and low frequency wind farm noise.

Remember, just because you can't hear a noise does not mean that it can't affect your health. You can't see or hear ultraviolet radiation nor nuclear radiation, but they can both damage your health and lead to premature death.

I attach a document "Unexplained Low Frequency Noise", recently submitted to oppose a wind farm application within 10 miles of my home, to provide background information on the issue of LFN my wife can hear. I do realise that the information on noise measuring methodology adopted in the UK will not be applicable to Canada.

Emyr Griffiths
Wales
UK

griffiths-unexplained-lfn.pdf

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