The reason why the United Kingdom has an inadequate health and safety standard for wind farms, which has resulted in people being made ill and even forced to abandon their homes because of noise, is now clear.

Staff from power firms have been working in Government departments, advising them on matters such as appropriate noise levels and the departments have accepted their advice (The Journal, August 28).

The result is ETSU-R-97, a document planners and the industry are obligated to follow. It allows residents of houses to be constantly subjected to in excess of 40db of noise (my door bell emits 80db) and has resulted in wind turbines being sited too close to houses.

Two questions come to mind. What gives politicians the right to inflict noise pollution on citizens of this country? And why are politicians and engineers deemed to be the correct persons to determine safe noise levels?

The French National Academy of Medicine has called for a halt to large scale wind developments within 1500m of houses, because the sounds emitted by the blades constitute a permanent risk for persons exposed to them.

However, reports of people being distressed by noise with separation distances greater than 1500m have been confirmed by research carried out by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the US National Wind Co-ordinating Committee.

Therefore, America’s National Wind Watch call on the wind industry to respect residents in targeted development areas, to honour their right to healthy lives and peaceful enjoyment of their homes, by adopting meaningful setbacks measured in miles not feet, seems to be the appropriate standard to adopt.

The Government has clearly messed up with regard to wind farm health and safety.

They have a moral obligation to pay substantial compensation to people who have suffered as a result.

Keith Tarn, Longhorsley, Northumberland

The Journal

28 August 2008