Critique of the Dr. King Report, The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines

A structural failure of a wind turbine might lead to loss of blade (or parts of it) and thus cause a risk to nearby people and property. In the Netherlands, more densely populated areas are considered to achieve the target set by the Dutch government of implementing 1.500 MW wind power onshore. Because of the public opinion locations close to highways, railways, canals or existing industrial zones are preferred. This development brings about that the risk of wind turbines for the environment becomes more significant as more people might be present near a wind turbine for a longer period. To deal with risks of wind turbine in a rational manner, a handbook with procedures for the risk assessment of wind turbines has been drawn up in order of NOVEM (the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment) [1]. This paper discusses the contents of the handbook and the status of the handbook in the legal framework.