NHMRC finds no reliable link between wind farms and health effects

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released the draft information paper ‘Evidence on Wind Farms and Human Health’. The paper is based on the findings of an independent literature review commissioned by the NHMRC, which used rigorous, internationally recognised methods to select and analyse available evidence and literature examining noise, shadow flicker and electromagnetic radiation.

“There is some consistent but poor quality evidence that proximity to wind farms is associated with annoyance and, less consistently, with sleep disturbance and poorer quality of life,” acknowledged NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson. “However, it is unknown whether these effects are caused by the wind turbines themselves or by other related factors.”

The paper thus concludes, “There is no reliable or consistent evidence that wind farms directly cause adverse health effects in humans.”

Several scientists have spoken in favour of the report. Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney, said the review is “the 20th published since 2003 to conclude that the evidence linking wind turbines directly to adverse health effects is poor”. Dinesh Kumar, Professor of Biosignals at RMIT University, added that the university’s own research confirms the findings, although she noted that “infrasound has the potential to travel longer distances than mentioned in this text” and “there is a lack of proper definition of the term ‘noise’ in an audio context”.

The Clean Energy Council has also welcomed the statement, claiming it is an important step in reassuring communities living near wind farms that their health is not at risk.

“It is the role of health experts like the NHMRC to consider the scientific evidence on these issues and make recommendations, rather than the wind industry or its opponents,” said Clean Energy Council Policy Director Russell Marsh.

“The NHMRC draft position statement is in line with advice from the NSW and Victorian health departments, which have both stated that noise below the hearing threshold cannot affect people’s health.”

According to Professor Anderson, “further research of the highest standard is warranted”. The NHMRC thus intends to release a targeted call for research once public consultation closes on 11 April and contributions have been considered.

“We welcome the public consultation process,” said Marsh, “and look forward to continuing to work with agencies like the NHMRC to inform our best practice guidelines for wind farm development and community engagement, and ensure the industry can continue to operate in a responsible way.”

The paper and public consultation guidelines can be found at http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/wind_farms.