MAYVILLE – A group of 65 residents and property owners in Northern Chautauqua County have filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court against the developers of a wind farm, claiming to have suffered from various damages and injuries as it relates to the placement of wind turbines in close proximity to their homes.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday by the law firm Westfall Law PLLC, lists over a hundred individuals from 65 different residences in the Fredonia, Cassadaga and Forestville areas who are suing the developers of the Arkwright Summit Wind Farm. The project is located in the areas of Arkwright and Pomfret, and includes approximately 47 turbines that stand some 420 feet tall and were erected in 2018.
The plaintiffs claim that developers built the project too close to their homes and as a result, have created a number of hazards and adverse health effects, including include sleep disturbance, annoyance, headaches, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, motion sickness, bodily sensations, fatigue, stress, depression, memory deficits, inability to concentrate, anxiety and an overall reduced quality of life. The complaint says that these effects are largely due to the shadow flicker and loud noise that comes from the turbines when they are in motion.
The complaint also says that those who’ve attempted to sell their homes and move away from the Arkwright wind farm are often unable to do so because the value of land near turbines plummets.
The group is suing the various parties involved with the development and construction of the project on nine causes of action that include negligence, creating a private nuisance and trespass of real property. They are demanding judgment against the Defendants on each of
the causes of action in an amount to be determined by this Court.
Honolulu will be fighting the same fight if the AES Na Pua Makani Wind Farm 3.45 MW turbines are allowed to operate in our community. We live 3 miles away from existing 2.5 MW wind turbines and they prevent our deep sleep and cause our ears to pop here at our house. In the past month, more than 130 people have been arrested blocking the trucks delivering the turbines. The information we’ve gathered about wind turbine low-frequency sound impacts to residents are on our Google Drive (Cape Bridgewater, funded by the wind farm, is very helpful): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1x2bYkblTkTN_wmeht3eh8Row3tLpmkoO and our concerns are summarized here: https://nonapua.com/