Dear City Council Member:

Thank you for the opportunity for some of us who are in opposition to the proposed Eagle View Industrial Wind Turbine Project, to speak at the City Council meeting on Monday, November 23, 2009.  After hearing the discussion, we have the following thoughts to share.

We too are concerned about the health and protection of our environment.  We wash clothes only when there’s a full load, and when the weather cooperates, we hang them out to dry.  We don’t run the water while brushing our teeth.  We take short showers.  We only use lights in the rooms we’re in.  In the cooler months we uncover our south windows during the day to take advantage of the sunlight to warm our home.   We keep our thermostat in the 60’s and even lower when we’re away for extended periods.  We’ve replaced our light bulbs with the more energy efficient ones.  We quickly fix dripping faucets.  We recycle everything.  We take our kitchen waste, like potato peels, and spread it on the field behind our home to help replenish the soil rather than sending it in a plastic bag to the land fill.  We have been environmentally friendly, long, long before it became a color.  We support alternative energy sources and believe that solar is the God-given power house that must be utilized.  We have never been in favor of industrial wind turbines because they leave too big a footprint on the earth and too large an impact on the quality of life of those living around them.  We have held this belief long before this project was proposed.

Industrial wind turbines are rooted in the ground with concrete that is as deep as a three story building is high.  That concrete and the electrical apparatuses and wires remain in the ground after the turbines are no longer useable; only to be covered with two feet of top soil.  It’s actually the electrical components that burn out over time that makes the turbines unusable.  We have to wonder about the effects of leaving the electrical debris beneath the ground has on the quality of the ground water as those items decompose. 

Yes, we think the industrial wind turbines are unsightly.  They are so huge that they cast a shadow up to a half mile long.  The pulsating shadow produced by the sunlight behind the turning blades can turn a home in its path into a strobe lit nightmare.  Of course they ruin the view of a beautiful sunset, because they dwarf everything in their presence and it is nauseating to look through the gigantic turning blades.

Noise is a huge concern.  We took a drive to the south of Rochelle to experience industrial wind turbines at a similar distance to what the proposed Eagle View turbines would be from our home.  They were noisy; some more than others.  Some produced the sound that a jet engine makes during takeoff.  Another was making a steady, loud, non-stop, high pitched whistle.  Others made a loud swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…. sounds.  It may be true that some of the turbines are quiet some of the time, but it cannot be said that all industrial wind turbines are quiet all of the time.  Noise pollution certainly impacts our environment and quality of life.  I’m enclosing more information for your review about the environmental noise pollution concern.

Industrial wind turbines may impact the health of those living within one mile of them.  There is a syndrome that has been identified that is called, Wind Turbine Syndrome.  The symptoms of the syndrome are troubling.  They include headache, nausea, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, dizziness, unsteadiness, exhaustion, problems with concentration and learning, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).  Keeping the industrial wind turbines at least one mile away from homes significantly decreases the risk of this syndrome from developing.  Many well-educated, highly respected medical doctors are working on this syndrome. 

Of course we are concerned about the impact on the value of our home and those of our neighbors.  Who could deny that when given an option, people would naturally select housing that was not impacted by industrial wind turbines?  In looking into this issue, it appears that the value of our homes would decrease by 20 to 25% if industrial wind turbines are built as proposed.  This project will cost those living nearby in loss of personal wealth, quality of life, and health.  Is the benefit of this project worth paying such a high price?

Industrial wind turbines are not cost effective.  Without federal tax dollars, they would not be affordable to construct.  We ask the City Council to be good stewards of our federal tax dollars as well as the sales tax dollars that we spend in the City.  Just because the dollars are available, doesn’t mean that they have to be spent on something that does not make sense, is a potential health risk, and negatively impacts the quality of life and property value of homes surrounding them, in the name of making Rochelle and Geneva “appear” more environmentally friendly.

We know that Rochelle leaders pride themselves on being proactive, visionary, and independent thinkers.  We applaud you and suggest that in this instance the best action is saying no to this proposed project.  There are many in this area who have “jumped on the industrial wind turbine band wagon” or are “following the pied piper”, but it’s time for leaders to declare that “the Emperor has no clothes,” and that this project does not make good sense for the Rochelle community and its neighbors.  We ask that as a member of the Rochelle City Council, you vote to deny this project.

Respectfully yours,

Noel & Peggy Allison