The "Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel" study says: "The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) convened a panel of independent experts to identify any documented or potential health impacts of risks that may be associated with exposure to wind turbines, and, specifically, to facilitate discussion of wind turbines and public health based on scientific findings." It continues, saying: "The scope of the Panel's effort was focused on health impacts of wind turbines per se." The Massachusetts study treats health affects broadly in accordance with WHO and includes direct health effects, annoyance, and sleep disruption. In many ways the Massachusetts study is a critique of the literature relating to wind farm acoustic emissions and health effects. This paper is a critique of the critics. In particular, this critique examines some of the physical acoustic findings and some of the social survey findings. The Massachusetts study reveals itself to have problems similar to those that it criticizes in other reports.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
2 December 2013
166th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America
2–6 December 2013
San Francisco, California
Session 3aNS: Noise
March 26 2014
A critical analysis of: Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel
Paul Schomer;
Paul Schomer
Schomer and Associates, 2117 Robert Drive, Champaign, IL 61821
Search for other works by this author on:
Pranav Pamidighantam
Pranav Pamidighantam
Schomer and Associates, 2117 Robert Drive, Champaign, IL 61821
Search for other works by this author on:
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. 20, 040008 (2013)
Article history
Received:
December 14 2013
Accepted:
March 25 2014
Citation
Paul Schomer, Pranav Pamidighantam; A critical analysis of: Wind Turbine Health Impact Study: Report of Independent Expert Panel. Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. 2 December 2013; 20 (1): 040008. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4870639
Download citation file:
191
Views
Citing articles via
Acoustic performance of screens designed to act as metamaterials
Umberto Berardi, Gino Iannace, et al.
Sound absorption performance of double layer sandwich structure containing micro-perforations and extended necks
Zacharie Laly, Christopher Mechefske, et al.
Related Content
A proposed test of some people's ability to sense wind turbines without
hearing or seeing them
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. (January 2016)
Experimental validation of a railway rolling noise model on a system with slab track and resilient wheels
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. (April 2024)
Guidelines for developing regulations for acoustic impact, based on the stage of operation of wind farms in Chile
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. (August 2016)
Beyond the noise: Open source soundscapes - A mixed methodology to analyse, evaluate and plan “everyday” quiet areas
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. (September 2017)
Loudness and noise rating: How may standardization bridge the gap between
science and engineering?
Proc. Mtgs. Acoust. (December 2015)