A Hippy-Mom Stands against the Wind......Turbines (Updated) .

Well- I dropped-out of the Group protesting the turbine. It became a Power-thing, with one Paerticular Woman basically proclaiming herself the "fearless leader" and ignoring any input except by her "inner Circle".

Fortunately, one happens to be an intelligent, level-headed man with the time, money and know-how to really research and present huge  binders full of facts, letters etc.. to the boards.

UNfortunately- "Ms. Leader" is a loud, overly emotional and rather unstable person with a "My way or the highway" attitude.

I have been saying to make this whole thing VERY public- outside our community...and to get lawyers advice from DAY ONE... But was told "Thats not the way we want to do this..." and ignored.

Now the Wind Farm is up & fully operational.. and NOW they want to get litigious... and are upset at ME for not wanting to use Our Children's Autism as a "Sympathy factor" in their class-action lawsuit.

Yes- we are having more frequent sinus/inner ear issues and frequent panic/anxiety... BUT: without documentation by a Doctor or Psychologist that is is not simply from the weird winter weather and S.A.D... I am NOT subjecting my kids to public scrutiny for a bunch of people who are now at the "what can I get out of this" point in the issue.

This should have been done WELL BEFORE the Mason County Board was ready to Vote.... Lawyers involvement would have made them reconsider their options.... and maybe-- just maybe.. the towers would not be there now.

Either way... I'm not letting them USE my Kids.... funny how I haven't heard from anyone until they wanted us in on this?  NOT!

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This is getting "old" already... and so frustrating.

Consumers Energy is Building a Wind-Farm consisting of  Fifty-six 650-foot Wind Turbines using OUR Road as one of the boundaries... the turbines will literally surround our home.

Why is this an issue- especially to someone who supports green-energy 100% ??
And to someone who wanted to erect a wind-turbine of her own (well- OUR own) to generate our own power?

Well for one... our district makes having your own turbine darned-near impossible thru ordinances, taxes, fees etc.etc....

And OUR needs would only require 1 or 2 SMALL (50 foot tall with 15 foot blades) Turbines...
NOT 56 turbines, each 650ft tall with 300foot blade-spans!

OURS would emit a small "whine" not audible from indoors when the wind is at a peak... The Wind-farm will emit a 24-hour-a-day low frequency "thrum-ing" sound... a sound that will effect the lives of our entire family...
You see.. My Husband and both children suffer from Aspergers Syndrome...a "Autism Spectrum Disorder"...
They get BAD panic attacks, melt-downs, and can become un-responsive, when bombarded with visual or audio over-stimulation (like Carnivals, Concerts, People playing loud sterios nearby with the bass turned up, the wind banging a door or window, MRI's etc... you get the idea)

Of course, all the materials available from the Energy Companies will SWEAR there will be "no noticable sound" from the turbines... But if you go on-line, you find the opposite is true.
MANY families in Maine, California, Oregon and Canada have Blogs, websites and news-articles written about their families "Ordeals" with the noise from the windfarms-- especially if they have family members with Autism, or autism spectrum disorders-- it is also reported to raise blood-pressure, and increase the frequesncy of migraines... Oh Great! That would be ME!

Instead of going thru all the nasty details of what we have gone through (so far) while our township negotiated with the company, I am posting a copy of the letter I wrote to  their representatives...
Of course-- no names or Locations will be given for matters of privacy.

Origionally, the wind-farm was going to be on National Forest land..
People were OUTRAGED-- especially those who only live here in the Summer or come here for Hunting season...
"NO! What about the hunting, camping, wildlife,  and tourists???"
Ok-- then they were going to put it out IN the Lake about 6 miles off shore...
"NO! We'll lose our perfect sunsets and a lot of tourism..."
I KNOW! Lets put it where the farmers and low-income people LIVE... regardless of how they feel about it!!"
Of course- since most of the people compaining do not live in this particular area--and are only here a few months a year,  THEY will never see or hear the turbines... so why do they care.

I am NOT a Litigious person,  even if I were- there are no grounds for a case at this point regardless ... except that it is being done without a vote one way or the other by the people who actually live here year round.

Here is what was sent to the Township Supervisor, County Courthouse, and the Company erecting the Windfarm.

Is this the right thing to do??

I don't know-- but I can't just sit back and "wait and see" and say nothing.....

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(Edited to remove names & addresses)

.....I am writing to you as I have some serious concerns about the effects on my family. My Husband, Daughter and Son all have Aspergers Syndrome- It is a form of high-functioning Autism, with additional symptoms of Panic, Anxiety, Sleep-disorders, Migraines, OCD and Bi-Polar Disorder. It is something many learn to live with, and overcome to the best of their ability… but it is difficult and has many set-backs.


We moved out into the country to escape the constant noises “in town”… especially the bass sounds like from stereo’s, large trucks, or lawn -mowers and other power-equipment in the distance… low frequency sounds are the worst. It causes serious panic and “melt-downs” that can last for hours. I cannot IMAGINE what a low-frequency noise, 24-7, that varies in speed and frequency with the weather is going to effect them.
Flickering light is also a concern, as it often can cause them low-level seizures.
We are a family that is at home almost all the time, and spend a LOT of our leisure time outdoors… I am afraid this wind farm is about to destroy my family’s quality of life.
I know that they (the companies involved) say we will not hear them… but I have read MANY studies, papers, articles and Blogs concerning these issues-- and have corresponded with a few people in Canada, Maine and Pennsylvania with Autistic Family Members who say differently. They say they can hear it all the time. The pitch and rhythm changes- but the sound is always there.
Any autism specialist will tell you- it is proven that sound and lighting have a direct effect on the Autistic.
What do we do if, once the 56 towers are up- we start to hear the turbines and see effects on our family?

Just pack up and leave our home?

We wouldn’t find another place in this school district that we could afford with the acreage we need considering the decrease in our homes market value already…let alone the additional decrease that is going to take place once it is surrounded by Turbines. We probably couldn’t get a buyer at any price… let alone enough to pay off this mortgage AND find a suitable home.
The people living here were given LITTLE choice- or say- in this project. We were never even notified of it until people came to our home trying to buy the easement… Rude people trying to mislead us and insinuating we’d “not understand” most of the agreement even if we were allowed a copy to read-- and that we must be so poor that a $100 signing fee should make a big difference in how we felt about signing.

The “White Pine” company then told us that the project was being re-located due to too many of us being “un-cooperative”. Obviously, that is not the case.

Now, despite many neighbors who feel the same as we do, the Wind Farm WILL go through, on our road--like it or not.

Even though we don’t want to participate- you’ll just work around us.

When there were meetings to discuss the project, the only notice was articles in the Ludington Paper…that MANY of us around here do not read on a regular basis…so had no IDEA about it.

Then when we DID find out about a couple of different “meetings” about it, we were told that “no questions were allowed” by property owners… that these “meetings” were simply going to be speeches and information given by those involved with the Wind Farm… so many of us did not attend—why would we if our questions and concerns were not to be voiced?
We were not given a “Vote” on this project… no say either way…
I am at a loss as to where to turn, or what to do now.

Just wait and see-- I know.

But until we know…I will worry.

Until I know that this project is NOT going to set-back my childrens great advancements and achievements to overcome their disability… I will worry.

Until I know that neither they nor my husband will be able to function at a normal level due to the stress caused by the constant “thrum” of turbines—I will worry.
Until I know they will not suffer seizures from the flickering of light at Sunrise and Sunset…I will worry.

Until I KNOW we will not lose our ability to enjoy our own home and property with the same quality of life we now enjoy… I will worry.
This is our Home ... not just a house... we worked all our life to find it …and it is the only Home our Children have known… now we fear that it may in the near future seem more like an inescapable torture than the Safe-haven it has been for us for 16 years… unless we choose to “cut our losses” and move—which we are financially unable to do.

That is a decision we shouldn’t have to make.
What can your company show us or promise us to ease these fears?

What do we do if, when they are building the turbines, or when the farm is up-and –running; our Family is tormented by the sound & commotion?

Please let me know what we can do-- if anything, or how ...............   plans to address these type of problems, should they arise in this projects future?