Good Morning.

I have had the following comment / question posted on the comments board.

“Since you have indicated that you talked to some real estate agents in the eventuality of putting your house on the market, I wonder whether or not the seller has to disclose the possibility of the presence of a Windmill Farm nearby in the near future. If so, it would already have an impact on the saleability of the house. What would be the percentage of the decrease? And have the real estate agents noticed an increase of people wanting to leave the area?”

All the realtors I spoke to said that they would / or it  would be best to disclose the wind energy company proposals. Saying that I have no idea as to the exact boundaries of  any local wind farm so it is difficult to know exactly how close I would be.

A number of the realtors I spoke to said “In addition to market conditions, wind farms will certainly have an affect on your property value.” Others said, “It won’t effect the value, but it will effect the buyer pool?????????” – I’d rather have a the original number of people in the buyer pool! 

I have an essay that looks into property values [Here] and am working on a much larger study of this issue.

Disclosure

• First of all I will make it clear that on this matter individuals should seek their own legal advice.
• For the buyer to have a claim against the seller the buyer would almost certainly have to satisfy the courts that:
  • The buyers would not have purchased the property if they had known about proposal / planning information that was deemed available at the time of purchase to the sellers / realtors.
  • That the seller new of this information and withheld it because they thought it might influence the sale.
  • The seller would probably counter claim that the buyer should have done more work in evaluating the area for aspects that are “deal breakers.”
  
  
• During the case it would need to be established at what point a “proposal” is required to be disclosed, and at what point it would be reasonable for the seller  or realtor to know about ideas that are generally fairly secretive.
• If this could be done then the courts would have to establish the change in value as a result of wind-turbines.

Hello All,

Here are a couple of letters I have sent to local Prince Edward County newspapers this Week. There were a few minor variations between each letter!

Dear Editor

I attended the lively Wind Energy information meeting on Wednesday 20th August kindly hosted by Mayor Finnegan which he said will be the first of many. Can I use this well read newspaper to thank “Jim Vanden Hoek,”the Mayor of Frontenac Islands (including Wolfe Island) for painting such a contrasting picture between there and the successful agricultural and creative rural economy of PEC. Also thankyou for showing us the misty aerial pictures that made Wolfe Island look a somewhat bleak, desolate and baron place. I came away with the distinct impression that Hoek gave his support for enormous 2.3 MW wind-turbines because his local economy had nothing left, that the 8 jobs for the community the project would bring would not be at the risk of anything else – that for the 3000 or so summer residents it was just tough luck if they were affected. I cannot recall Hoek making any mention of Green intention or conscious.

I also note with interest that Mayor Hoek said that about 80 people signed up for land options with wind energy companies.  However he told the large audience of a public information session that only 50 of those options were taken in the final plan. The energy companies making these proposals know that the offer of financial reward often buys support for projects, especially as those living within a wind farm will be most at risk from any negative effects the 400′ windmills are alleged to produce, sleep disturbances,  loss of property value and depending on set backs the municipality will decide, the risk of death or injury due to dangers such as structural failure or ice being thrown onto their  land from neighbouring wind turbines. I wonder how the 30 landowners and their families of Wolfe Island now feel that no reward is coming to them, while their neighbours will have extra money to invest in their business’s, perhaps cover the lease on a new truck or tractor,  or maybe enjoy a long, well earned holiday – not all the money from leases will come back into the local community!!

Steven Draper

and a second letter sent just to  The County Gazzette

Dear Editor

As usual I enjoyed the contribution to your news paper by Terry Sprague. I share completely his concerns about wind energy windmills and the effect on birds. I asked the council planners about lighting and as yet they don’t know. But It isn’t just flying into Wind Turbines, or the wake that kills birds, it’s the loss of the all the land around turbines, the loss of trees, fields, hedgerows etc. These greatly reduced the ability of our rural environment to support the wildlife we share it with, and the benefits they provide.

Other things fly into wind turbines too. There have been two reported fatal air crashes involving either a wind turbine or an unlit anemometer. We have two active airfields on PEC, and a couple of others close by.  One is involved with the training of military personal in order to provide peacekeeping support wherever is needed in the World, and the other is a used for private flying. Both are very busy during the gliding season. As a former commercial airline captain, both are exceptionally vulnerable to obstacle rich environments, and potential turbine wake that would normally warrant airspace protection from too many tall, dynamic obstacles. Helicopter pilots who might need to come here to airlift someone from a rural farm to hospital due to snow or illness also have restrictions in operating close too Wind Turbines that could prevent a successful medivac.

Steven Draper

Hello All

I decided use a question during a Public Meeting on 20th August 2008 featuring presentations about wind energy, to draw attention to the County of Prince Edward  By-Law 900 – 2002. It protects residents and businesses on PEC from unusual noises, vibration and lighting;  I just don’t see any reason in wasting huge amounts of time and money and risking the reputation of PEC, social division if this by-law would make PEC a non starter for large scale on-land industrial wind mining projects.

No need to comment....! (mayor Finnegan right)

So will the council change the by law? I pose this conundrum to you all…

• If the council trust the protection offered by the Ontario Noise guidlines that they will use to determine noise setbacks, if they trust their own observations from visits to wind turbines, if they trust the energy companies are telling the complete picture about noise, if they  believe the problems reported elsewhere (ie Davis Case – July 2008 UK) are not true,  then there is absolutly NO reason to change the by-law as unusual noise issues will not be a problem, will they?
• If however the council has any doubt regarding the above points then in order to allow the development of  industrial wind turbines without the threat of high profile legal cases, serious social divisions and potential prosecutions to either land owners or the municipal council,  they’ll have to try and amend the by-law. At the same time they will have to convince the residents that there isn’t a problem from annoying, unusual noises relating to the placement of industrial wind turbines close to their homes, despite their desire to change the by-law…. 

Just for the record I’ll briefly state that the current excemptions to 900-2002 are all temporary noises:

• Council approved parades
• Council approved outdoor concerts
• Noise related to construction between 7am – 6pm
• Sirens from Emergency vehicles

Links

• Read the full 900-2002 by-law
• Another look at 900-2002 in this Essay by myself
• Letter to By-Law enforcement officer, Local Council, Provincial Government,
• Energy Companies and Local Media by myself

Have a peaceful day.

Steven

Good Morning from “Bethel (The house of God!) Road.” 

If you live on or have visited the “artistic haven” of Prince Edward County I am sure that you value the kind of peace and tranquility that it offers, such as this misty rural scene and big sky, that I photographed near my Sophiasburgh home, Ontario, last week.

"A Big Sky on Bethel Road"

A page on the PEC municipality website ¹ features a 2008 Queens University report. ² This highlights the beautiful un-commercialized “County” scenery as an important part of the “Place Factor” the driving force behind the creative rural economy that has driven PEC to success over recent years, adding an estimated $65million (2006)in additional annual revenue to the local economy  (worth over $5000 per household!)

Alongside traditional agriculture, accolades such as Ontario’s Gastronomic Capital 2008 ³ peace and tranquility certainly appear to be a key part of a very valuable rural economy, one worth protecting. Fortunately for PEC residents, a local by-law 900-2002 ⁴  does just that. It protects homes from unusual annoying noises, flashing or twinkling lights and ground vibration.

excerpt from 900-2002 - click to see full document.

The  “whoosh whoosh whoosh” sound from the many proposed industrial wind turbines is certainly an unusual, alien noise within any rural landscape or even a town. There are many accounts of people living long distances of up to 2 miles (3km) that are disturbed by the continuous, pulsating and annoying sounds.

Its not just a matter of volume, the sound just isn’t like traffic, farm noises or wildlife. Most of us with children tucked up in bed will know that you don’t need the volume of a movie to be that loud for certain types of noise to send shivers down your spine!

These accounts are documented in a growing number of reports from doctors, noise and other organizations that can be found online. A recent paper by an organization called NOISE‐CON 2008, 2008 July 28‐31  “Simple guidelines for siting wind turbines to prevent health risks”  ⁵ explains the problems clearly and calls for much greater setbacks. Distances of 1-2 miles are quiet common depending on factors like terrain and climate.

Reported in the Daily Telegraphy, a July 2008 legal battle in the United Kingdom resulted in the Davis’s having their municipal taxes reduced to the lowest amount possible because the Courts rules that an Industrial Wind Turbine, the closest being just under 1000m way significantly reduce their ability to enjoy their house, and had negatively impacted the house value. In fact local real estate agents told the courts that the house was just about un-sellable! ⁶ And now other municipalities across the UK are facing losing millions of $ of revenue as a result of similar claims from if they agree to allow large turbines to be built near to homes.

The current energy company proposal, combined with Ontario noise planning guidelines would require setbacks of only 450m. In Prince Edward County this would mean intrusive noise issues reaching the homes, schools and hospitals in vibrant downtown Picton, as well as negatively effecting lives, businesses and property values across much of the regions landscape.

That’s a lot of people affected by annoying noises, flashing lights and ground vibrations who may seek legal action under the local by-law. But who will be liable and risk prosecution under section 5 of the law.  Would it be the farmer for having the industrial wind turbine on his or her land, the energy company for failing to demand locations that did not annoy people with noise, flicker, or lighting issues, or even the municipality itself for failing to protect it’s residents in accordance with its own by-law?

I spent my career scanning the horizons for the potential hazards and dangers in order to make good decisions that would protect my passengers and crew. Within any community, especially a small, thriving one that has so much too lose, surely it would be best to avoid the mistakes that would lead to damaging social divisions and animosity that could result from multiple legal battles.

Rather than waste more time and money on trying to resolve the many problems and issues regarding the large industrial wind turbines, surely our creative energies and local enterprise should be looking at the other alternatives.  Alternatives that demonstrate vision, create energy and wealth with business opportunities for local companies, and reduce our carbon foot print without spoiling the precious tranquility of an un-spoilt rural environment, the bedrock underlying the current and future success of Prince Edward County.

Steven Draper

Sources:

1. http://www.pecounty.on.ca/government/corporate_services/economic_development/creative_economy/index.php#GrowingtheCreativeRuralEconomy
2. http://www.pecounty.on.ca/government/corporate_services/pdf/FinalReporttoPECGphy337.pdf
3. http://www.pecounty.on.ca/pdf/CountynamedGastronomicCapitalofOntario.pdf
4. http://www.pecounty.on.ca/government/planning_services/pdf/900-2002AgreementNuisancesNoisesPEC.pdf
5. http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp-content/uploads/simple-guidelines-for-siting-wind-turbines-to-prevent-health-risks.pdf
6. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/26/eawind126.xml

Hello everyone.

If you love Prince Edward County , or to that end any unspoilt rural location because of the tranquility that can be found in scenes like these, photographed by myself a few days ago, then please feel uneasy. Within 18-months these views may have gone for the rest of our lives, and rural landscapes everywhere are under threat.

"Rural Harmony"

These images are all taken from a 50 m stretch of Bethel Road, just about 10 minutes drive from Picton or Bloomfield and illustrate the kind of landscape that will no longer be able to enjoyed for it’s peace and quiet because of the dramatic changes that will happen if the proposed industrial wind mine (farm) developments like the Byran Farm proposal by Skypower that will plant about 66 nearly 400′ high turbines over 12000 acres, including right here along Bethel Road.

In all honesty if the council use 40m setbacks as I was advised in a telephone call then just driving along these roads would present additional life threatening risk, especially in winter time when ice can be thrown off the blades at high speed towards the ground.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m 100% behind renewable energy, conservation, putting back more than I take out. It’s just that you have to be careful that while looking for the “green” solution you don’t destroy the ability to renew your own human energy by destroying areas such as these that attract people to the countryside either to live or to visit.

Even the mist won’t hide the effects on the landscape, although with no wind thankfully you may still get some quiet!

If, like me, you do feel concerned about the inappropriate placement of industrial wind turbines the please leave me a comment, check out the questions I have, and / or write to as many people as possible and let then know what you think. Links to councillors, government and energy companies are now here!

"No Wind"

"Fading landscape"

"Misty Memories"

"Big Sky from Bethel Road"

"When I grow I want to be a ???"

"Sunset on this Dawn?"

Steven

Hello

I have spent the past two days rather sadly investigating the possibility of selling my home, discussing things with a number of real estate agents. It makes me so sad to think I might have to move again, they all agree I have a lovely home. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was writing this article on another web-site about moving in. I thought my dreams had come alive, but now they are blowing away. 

I’ve continued to read through article after article on the web. I thought about adding links to them, but there are so many. I’ve put a couple of links on the front page to some central sites that will prove a good launch pad, including a UK government paper which provides some interesting info.

I finally have some idea now about what I want this web site to try and achieve and have revised the about page and added some aims.  

I have also written a second essay titled Beware the shield of hindsight – I may have a crystal ball which really sets out my concerns. You can read it here.

Tomorrow I am having a day off. Hopefully I’ll see my third child through the magic of Ultrasound, I’m not going to let anything spoil that.

Friday I’ll write to the council, and contact several newspapers about a fun competition – who said wind turbines had to be all essays and writing. A picture can say a thousand words, and I’m planing a “guess the title” competition called Green or Greedy! I’m offering a $100 prize too.  Hopefully launch it over the weekend, but I’ll release more details at the end of the week. 

Take Care, Steven

Here are three interesting links to “late night reads” with reference to noise and windfarms. (the UK on land report cover all aspects) They are UK Government study / policy group papers. 

• Onshore Wind Noise  UK BERR - Interesting to see UK states 200 – 300 m for a 100-106db head to be 45-50db spot. No mention of 25db rural levels, Explanation of noise, low info describing type of type of noise from wind turbines.
• UK Windfarm Noise Assessment Study 1996  UK BERR - a lengthy and in-depth study in 1996 that still appears to be a primary document on noise source.
• UK On Land Report - UK wind Energy Review Nov 2005 Government report covering all aspects of wind turbines, including noise. Interesting to once again see different figures for the 4db point. 20 – 40db mentioned for Rural. Interesting notes on Visual settings.

from the UK and reported on the BBC News website, 08/08/01

North Shropshire MP, Owen Patterson said proposals for seven 344′ turbines would be “Devastating to House Prices.”

• Original Article   BBC 08/08/01
• Alternative Link   wind-watch.org

Location, Location, Location – the three golden words of property value. Improve elements of the location and it figures that house prices go up, reduce them and my home is less desirable so it would figure that the price some is prepared to pay will go down.

Therefore if large scale wind farms are Good things we should see increasing values, if they are bad then one can conclude that the reverse should hold.

It goes without saying that all wind turbine companies report that we should not feel concerned about the values of our houses dropping if wind farms are built close by or turbines appear in our view. Yet the No camp state the reverse. With some fairly in depth reports mentioned this should be a simple a essay, a good place to to start a detailed examination of the pros and cons of wind turbines.

But life is never that simple!

Full Article CLICK HERE

Two hot news items have occurred in the UK that add real interest to the effect of wind turbines on the enjoyment of your home life and the value of your home.

• GranthomTimes 30th July 2008 - UK - Court rules in favour of resident -Estate agents state house un-sellable 
• Daily Telegraph 28th July 2008 - UK – Court Ruling in favour of resident – Negative Effect on House Value