Wind Farms in a Rural Environment and Potential for Serious Harm to Human Health due to Noise Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee ‘Inquiry into the social and economic impacts of rural wind farms’ Submitter: Robert Thorne 30 January 2011 rev1 CONTENTS PART I - INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................4 Background on which this Submission is based ....................................................................................4 Conclusions reached from my research ..................................................................................................6 Submissions................................................................................................................................................7 PART II - THE PROBLEMS WITH RURAL WIND FARMS .........................................................................9 Inappropriate Land-use Planning..............................................................................................................9 The Problems with Wind Farm Noise and Its Perception .....................................................................10 PART III - A CASE STUDY ........................................................................................................................12 A Rural Wind Farm...................................................................................................................................12 Prediction of Wind Farm Sound Levels..................................................................................................13 Case study with a Waubra residence......................................................................................................13 Background sound levels ........................................................................................................................15 The Effects of Weather .............................................................................................................................17 Audible sound character..........................................................................................................................17 Sound character at residence and near locale ......................................................................................19 Conclusions from Waubra Case Study...................................................................................................24 PART IV - WIND FARMS AND HEALTH EFFECTS .................................................................................25 Epidemiology and health risks ................................................................................................................28 Amenity and costs imposed by rural wind farms..................................................................................31 Conclusion – Serious harm to health .....................................................................................................31 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................32 PART V - AUDIBLE SOUND AND NOISE.................................................................................................33 Basic Measures .........................................................................................................................................33 Wind Farm Noise.......................................................................................................................................34 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................41 PART VI - LOW FREQUENCY SOUND AND INFRASOUND...................................................................42 2 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................45 PART VII - CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIPLE AND SINGLE WIND TURBINES.................................46 PART VIII - PREDICTION OF SOUND LEVELS – APPROACHES AND LIMITATIONS.........................51 Limits to Accuracy of Prediction.............................................................................................................51 Consideration of Variable Weather Conditions .....................................................................................52 Wind Farm Noise` Standards...................................................................................................................53 Prediction of Sound Variation at a Receiver ..........................................................................................55 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................55 PART IX - RESPONSES OF RESIDENTS NEAR WIND FARMS.............................................................56 Community and Individual Noise Exposure...........................................................................................56 The Effects on People near the Waubra Wind Farm, Victoria ..............................................................57 The Effects on People near the “West Wind’ wind farm, New Zealand...............................................62 The Effects on People near the ‘Te Rere Hau’ Wind Farm, New Zealand ...........................................68 Real-world noise compliance problem at a wind farm..........................................................................72 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................72 PART X - INDIVIDUALS’ PERCEPTION OF WIND FARM SOUNDS.......................................................73 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................73 The Manawatu – Brisbane Pilot Study....................................................................................................73 A Study of Noise Sensitivity vs. Specific Sounds .................................................................................76 Noise Annoyance ......................................................................................................................................77 Makara and Waubra studies into adverse health effects......................................................................79 Community perception and acceptance of wind farms ........................................................................80 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................80 PART XI - ANNOYANCE, AUDIBILITY, LOW AND INFRASOUND PERCEPTION ................................81 Annoyance.................................................................................................................................................85 Audibility – Low frequency - Infrasound ................................................................................................87 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................................92 PART XII - RECOMMENDED READING ...................................................................................................93 3 PART I - INTRODUCTION The following matter has been referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 April 2011: The social and economic impacts of rural wind farms, and in particular: (a) Any adverse health effects for people living in close proximity to wind farms; (b) Concerns over the excessive noise and vibrations emitted by wind farms, which are in close proximity to people's homes; (c) The impact of rural wind farms on property values, employment opportunities and farm income; (d) The interface between Commonwealth, state and local planning laws as they pertain to wind farms; and (e) Any other relevant matters. This submission addresses the issue of adverse health effects and excessive noise. Other relevant matters are brought forward to illustrate or explain the detail of my Submission. Background on which this Submission is based As a brief summary of my background and my professional qualifications in this matter I hold a PhD from Massey University New Zealand in health science with the topic ‘Assessing intrusive sound and low amplitude sound’. The thesis researched, in part, wind farm noise and human perception of such noise. My work on a day-by-day basis is as the Principal of Noise Measurement Services Pty Ltd. Professionally the work undertaken by Noise Measurement Services Pty Ltd involves specialised acoustical and psychoacoustical investigations for clients. A specific application in development is personalised sound reinforcement for hearing assistive devices. General acoustical work includes environmental noise surveys, social surveys and analysis, health impact assessment and noise impact prediction modelling. I hold post graduate qualifications in acoustics and qualifications in health engineering. My professional experience over more than 40 years’ has been involved in both the private and public sectors, in the broad fields of environmental and public