Across Canada, many are concerned about "wind turbine syndrome," a suite of symptoms suffered by some living in proximity to wind turbines. Anxiety, sleeping problems and headaches are among the negative health effects some think are caused by the low frequency hum emitted by wind turbines.
"Health Canada has been working in collaboration with the provinces and territories to draft voluntary Canadian Guidelines for Wind Turbine Noise," wrote Health Canada spokeswoman Olivia Caron in an email.
"The voluntary draft guidelines are health-based, and focus on minimizing potential impacts such as sleep disturbance by recommending noise limits, sound measurement standards and minimum setback distances from homes and occupied dwellings."
Right now, there is an incomplete patchwork of regulations on wind turbines in Canada, with some provinces - such as Ontario - already having guidelines already in place.
"There were some requests from provinces to help create these guidelines," said Steve Outhouse, a spokesman for federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. "Its similar to what we do with air quality, noise pollution, cellphones and fluoridation of water."
Health Canada says it is studying the guidelines put in place by the provinces, as well as those in foreign jurisdictions, to inform the upcoming federal recommendations. Scientific studies are also being examined, Caron said, in an attempt to "to mitigate the possible health impacts of wind turbine noise on residents living near wind turbine projects."
Dr. Moira McKinnon, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, has seen the draft national guidelines and says they will closely match those in place in Ontario. In Ontario, provincial rules say turbines can be located no closer than 550 metres from an inhabited building.
"At this stage, they're looking very similar to Ontario," said McKinnon. "There will only be minor discrepancies (to Ontario's regulations)."
Health Canada said consensus has not yet been reached on an appropriate setback distance to be included in the federal guidelines.
The Health Canada guidelines will deal with noise and shadow flicker, and will account for the power of the turbine, the size of the blade and local geography, McKinnon said.
Health Canada says the draft guidelines will undergo a public consultation phase prior to their finalization.
McKinnon says the guidelines will be re-evaluated if new evidence comes to light.
"If the public is feeling there are effects, we need to look into that," McKinnon said. "There has been an extensive consultation process for these guidelines, but the work doesn't stop in terms of continually examining the evidence."
Original Article
Source: Ottawa Citizen
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