Document Type
Article
Publication Date
December 2011
Abstract
In an effort to reduce the polluting effects of coal-fired electrical generators the Province of Ontario passed the Green Energy Act in 2009. Included in the act were clauses that removed authority from regional governments to control the placement of wind turbine or solar panel 'farms'. In concequence, forests of wind turbines sprang up throughout rural Ontario, angering rural residents and the tourist industry. Despite government claims that low frequency noise (LFN) posed no risks to health, hundreds of complaints quickly surfaced from people experiencing sleep disruption, headache, dizziness, and a host of other neurobehavioural adverse effects. This article reviews the scientific evidence that LFN can indeed be responsible for these effects and reviews evidence that existing setback requirements may not be adequate to protect all individuals.