Letters to the Editor: Wind turbines threaten county's and farmers' land

Wind turbines would surround homes and farms, and operate within (not outside of) the communities where people live.

The land, our farms and our families are our heritage. The farmland of Kansas and Dickinson county and how you value the care of your farmland and family is your legacy.

According to sources, the large-scale 700 ft. industrial wind turbines can cause significant harm to wildlife, people, and the environment. They have not been proven safe. They only make electricity 30%-40% of the time and depend on fossil fuels to work. These wind turbines are not, “green.”

The construction of industrial wind turbines affects aquifers, water flow, tile lines, soil erosion, soil compaction, air pressure and current. In essence, it is destruction of the best soil in the world, the farmland that the generations before us were proud caretakers of and entrusted to us, to feed the world with and preserve for our future generations. 

Converting agricultural and wildlife areas to the use of industrial wind turbines irreversibly destroys it. It is a debt of destruction. 

Our family homesteads are a part of the westward movement of Americans seeking land and prosperity for their families in the 1870s and 1880s in Dickinson County. Among those who were seeking land for their family was Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandparents. They also had a store at Hope, Kansas. 

Dickinson County is a part of the Flint Hills. Three Kansas governors since 2004 signed the moratorium to protect the Flint Hills from these wind turbines. 

Below are some of the other reasons for Dickinson County property owners and concerned citizen opposition to the proposed wind turbines. 

1. Health hazards associated with living near turbines as a result of audible noise, infrasound (inaudible noise and vibration), flicker affect, broken flying blades, and ice blade accumulation projectiles. Other adverse health consequences include the development of hypertension, cardiovascular effects, sleep disruption, stress and the, “loss of wellbeing,” from the subsequent disturbances and pollution. Again, these wind turbines are not, “green.”

2. Loss of farmland, up to 40% loss in property values, reduced tax base (loss of collectable county property taxes due to property value reductions), families leaving farms and communities, loss of tourism, outdoor recreation and small towns. Any cash the property owners receive from the wind turbine company as compensation is insufficient compared to the actual loss of value in the land. 

3. Greater risk of radio, TV, wireless internet and cell phone service interruption. This includes military pilot communication. 

4. Emergency communications at risk for becoming less dependable, endangering the community and their and families. 

5. Contamination of soil and aquifer by shedding micro-plastics containing BPAS. (A turbine with 120 M diameter will shed 62 kg of micro-plastics per year in the form of epoxy resin, containing Bisphenol A: BPA). World Health Organization states that drinking water should have a maximum of .1 micrograms of BPA per liter to be SAFE. One kg of BPA is sufficient to render 10 billion litters of water unsafe to drink. Each of the turbines will spread over farmland enough BPA to contaminate millions of liters of water. 

6. Converting agricultural and wildlife areas to the use of industrial wind turbines irreversibly destroys the land. The construction of wind turbines affect aquifers, water flow, tile lines, soil erosion, soil compaction, air pressure and current. 

7. Microclimate drying effect on crops is caused by the motion of the blades. 

8. Potential for catastrophic crop dusting accidents. Dispersal of crop dusting chemicals could spread wildly (due to varying wind patterns produced by blade rotations) to surrounding populated areas. 

9. Turbines can cause milk production drop. “Profound stress,” caused by the vibrations from the turbines passing through the subsoil, may affect other animals as well as disrupt local wildlife. They kill 573,000 birds each year in the United States. 

10. Wind turbine constructions damages. Roads heavily damaged due to excessive weight and massive amounts of concrete, gravel, and blade transportations. Residents and farmers highly inconvenienced during construction, impediments to wheat harvest, daily life, etc. 

11. Potential fires sparked by wind turbines causing damage to crops and farms. Around the world, hundreds of wind turbines have exploded into flame, each one raining molten metal and over 1,000 liters of flaming oil to the earth below. 

Exactly which government officials, senators or representatives want these huge 700 ft. industrial turbines around their houses and children? McPherson County banned all wind turbines. County commissioners are here to preserve the health, safety and welfare of the citizens. 

The Dickinson County Commissioners have the authority to stop this foreign company from destroying our communities and lowering the Dickinson County property values. 

If you are a concerned citizen and concerned about the wind turbines infiltrating Dickinson County please contact the Dickinson County Commissioners and voice your concerns.

Sources:

“Stop the Wind Turbines Harvey County Kansas” change.org

Julie Brandt