Environment
and Sustainability Committee
Inquiry into Energy Policy and Planning in
Wales
EPP 27 – Maggie Eaton
Dear sir or Madam,
I write with great concern and a heavy heart regarding the proposals for TAN 8 and the electricity pylons linking them to the grid.
My concerns are based around the fact that the UK actually produces 2% of the world’s output of CO2 a figure that will indeed decrease as other developing countries increase their fossil fuel output. We also have 15% of the world’s peat bogs, a very threatened environment. I have enclosed a document for your perusal which sheds doubt on whether the onshore wind farms on peat will ever pay back the CO2. With this in mind, it rather sheds a dim light on the use of onshore wind as a form of energy, especially as we are all aware that it is an expensive form of power depending heavily on subsidies and it is a very unreliable not operating for the majority of time.
The wind farms have serious health implications on both humans and animals and increasingly around the world there is more evidence becoming available through epidemiological studies, however it is very clear that unbiased research needs to be done. I say unbiased because certainly with regard to EMF’s most worldwide research is funded by energy companies, a fact which has many British scientists very frustrated as they can’t access funding for research. Some information is enclosed. I have also enclosed an article which sheds doubt on the WHO investigation into EMF’s and health.
I am gravely concerned with regard to the new super wind turbines being proposed in particular to the Dyfnant. The actual turbines are being tested in Spain and there is currently nothing of this size in operation. I was reading a paper in Denmark where Danish and German engineers were becoming increasingly concerned with regard to the size of the turbines They are being value engineered and because of transportation difficulties the columns are deemed to be less strong than they should be. The wind farms are encroaching onto land used by people recreationally and by people’s homes, if the turbines where to collapse then there is a very clear danger to public safety. The Caithness accident report shows all accidents reported. Ice throw is also a major concern in our upland areas.
The area of mid Wales earmarked for the vast industrialisation is already a thriving tourist honeypot, despite the wind farm companies reports that wind farms bring in tourism, if you look carefully at the BWEA website quoting the evidence to support this, you can easily cross reference it and discover that it is not true. Delabole in Cornwall is a very small wind farm in a slate quarry, not 800 plus wind turbines. The visit Scotland survey shows clearly that visitors do not want to see the destruction of the landscape.
The wind farms do not bring jobs to the area as is often quoted. The project manager for Dyfnant Forest believed that only 3 jobs will be permanently available but skilled jobs and not necessarily based here. The potential job losses if tourism collapses is huge, ranging from caravan and hotel owners through to cleaners, electricians servicing the sites, shops, pubs, cafes etc. In fact the amount of traffic to be produced by this folly will put our health at risk due to increased pollution and the fact should we need an ambulance, they may not actually be able to get to many locals, a very frightening thought, distances to hospitals in this rural area are great enough. Local businesses will suffer if the access is limited due to convoys and tourism along the coast will also suffer as travellers will be stuck in traffic jams taking them hours extra to reach their destinations.
Then there are the pylons and hub… a great deal of research has happened that has shed doubt on the safety of these structures, epidemiological studies in particular have shown links to disease be it cancer, Alzheimer’s or even reproductive problems and sleep disorders. In the environment there are many factors that work alongside each other that are difficult to replicate in lab conditions. However even in lab based studies there have been quite clear changes in animals exposed to EMF’s. The National Grid will not accept these studies, they wouldn’t as it would damage their business. We can’t just reject research which we don’t like as it contradicts. The national grid are heavily involved in worldwide funding into research to try and legitimise what they do. It is worth noting that EMF’s do damage health and in France in particular a farmer successfully sued the national energy company because of the damage to his animals by the high voltage lines. In France now the new lines in Normandy have a safety zone either side of them, this is being adopted by many countries worldwide as a precaution. National Grid have already told me that they are happy to place a 400KVA power line next to my house if they have to and next to an infant school.
I have a huge amount of information, proper academic study to back up my claims and would be happy to send if required, however for the males in the group my last health document refers to the degraded sperm quality shown in males exposed to EMF’s…rule food for thought I hope you agree.
The power lines are set to run through a narrow valley over numerous caravan sites, according to National Grid, the tourists will not notice them. I find it very difficult to believe that tourists leaving the industrial landscapes of their homes are going to go on holiday to another industrial landscape and the numerous tourists that I have spoken to admit if the pylons come they will most probably holiday abroad instead.
I was also horrified to accept that WAG who are supposed to represent the interests of the Welsh are prepared to have destroyed not only the natural environment of this beautiful unspoilt area of Wales but also an area steeped in so much rich history. Within a small area where I live is the remains of the Castle of Mathrafal, a hilltop where it is believed that the previous castle stood, numerous iron age fortresses, a Roman Fortress and virtually a listed village. This is an area where the Princes of Powys resided one of the 3 royal houses of Wales. This is our history and our culture, as a government you should be protecting and educating. Please do not destroy this beautiful and historic area and our economy just to give power to the English, there are better ways of saving energy without destroying our present and future.
Maggie Eaton
Attached documents:
Peat, Carbon dioxide payback and wind farms – Renewable Energy Foundation
The Question of Scientific Manipulation - Medcross group
Wind Turbines and Rural Tourism
British jobs gone with the wind - Telegraph
EDF – High-voltage line: What are the risks?
Animals as sentinels: using comparative medicine to move beyond the laboratory
Exposure to magnetic fields and the risk of poor sperm quality