Mr. Gillespie: We will continue with the testimony of Ms. Elmes.
Mr. Gillespie: Did anybody else in the household have preexisting health conditions? Your husband, Neil?
Ms. Elmes: His health was excellent.
Mr. Gillespie: Your son, Luke?
Ms. Elmes: His health was excellent, he had asthma that was induced by colds when young. He was symptom free for several years prior to the turbines.
Mr. Gillespie: What health effects have the IWTs had on members of the household?
Ms. Elmes: Neil is not sleeping at nights. I am seeing decreased productivity and reduced enjoyment of the home. He is falling asleep in other locations. He is not well rested and his tolerance to other issues at home and work is reduced. Luke had a severe asthma attack in the fall, 8 months after the operation of the turbines. It was during a windy time. That required several visits to the doctor. He was put on strong medications to control his asthma. When he started to get better, we started to wonder what would have caused the attack. The only difference is the turbines. The doctor suggested that noise could be an issue. The doctor asked if we could move. Because of where my husband works and commuting and the entire area is facing industrial wind development. My son is in tears because it is his home and he doesn’t want to leave.
Mr. Gillespie: What has been done in response to health effects?
Ms. Elmes: Neil moves to different areas and rooms in the house to get sleep. Lately the best solution is at home in the basement. It is not a finished basement. Someone should not have to leave a good bedroom to sleep in the basement. I have called the MOE 180 times. At his last visit to the doctor after the vertigo, he was prescribed medication to control the vertigo and concern was raised over his blood pressure. When he went back after a couple of weeks of sleeping away from the turbines his blood pressure was recorded as much better. The concern at his first visit was not being able to sleep. The doctor did not want to prescribe sleeping medications. We had a conversation about noise and moving away.
Mr. Gillespie: If you reported health effects, when did they start for Neil and Luke?
Ms. Elmes: The visual impact and loss of enjoyment was as soon as the turbines started. Sleep disruption was as soon as the turbines started. The asthma attach was 8 months after the turbines started. Neil’s sleep disruption is getting works. When he is moving around that wakes everyone up.
Mr. Gillespie: What is different when you are away from wind turbines?
Ms. Elmes: We have been away on holidays and he has been away for conferences. He would not have been able to sleep well in a hotel before. He now looks forward to being away and sleeping in a hotel.
Mr. Gillespie: Have doctors offered any explanation about these effects?
Ms. Elmes: Related to my son, the doctor talked about the increase of noise and made the suggestion that moving may be a solution. As for my husband, he sees the same doctor. The discussion was similar.
Mr. Gillespie: Were you present for the discussions about Luke?
Ms. Elmes: Yes.
Mr. Gillespie: The discussions that Neil had, were you present?
Ms. Elmes: No. He was at the doctor on his own.
Ms. Davis: We will be objecting this level of hearsay. We don’t have medical records for her husband or son.
Mr. Gillespie: We understand the concern around medical opinions. This type of information falls into a different category. This is a normal discussion that would take place between spouses after a medical appointment. I think that if we were trying to establish a diagnosis then that would be something that we would find in a medical record. That leads to how we treat medical records and whether we need to call doctors. We were not trying to go in that direction.
Mr. Wright: We will continue. We recognise the objection and we see this as hearsay, but it is a discussion between husband and wife. We can deal with this through weight.
Ms. Davis: If we draw the line at diagnosis then should we hear testimony as to what the doctor recommended for treatment?
Mr. Wright: That is going to be a matter of weight.
Mr. Gillespie: Can you tell us about the discussion that you had with Neil after the doctor’s appointment?
Ms. Elmes: We discussed the change that the turbines brought to our home and environment. The sensitivity to noise was discussed. We talked about moving. He was prescribed medication for the vertigo. The blood pressure issue was discussed and a follow-up visit was suggested. The sleep disruption is getting worse. My worry for my family is increasing. My anger is also getting worse in dealing with this issue. Our flustration is getting worse in dealing with this issue. It is very frustrating and time consuming.
Mr. Gillespie: You described you believe that Neil suffered vertigo. When that happens, what do you observe?
Ms. Elmes: He woke up in the middle of the night. He was very agitated and could not get out of bed. The room was spinning around him. He said that if felt like a very long time, but it wasn’t. He was very unsettled. When he could get out of bed he moved to the hallway with his sleeping bag. He had two more episodes that night. He wanted to see the doctor immediately. He said that he could not continue living there if he had to go through that. It is a tough situation to be going through. His health was impacted for two days. When he had the prescription it did not help. He took a day off of work. He has had maybe 3 days off of work over 30 years.
Mr. Gillespie: What is this document and who prepared it?
Ms. Elmes: We have a record of all of the calls to the MOE. I wrote it.
Mr. Wright: To clarify, I see the reference number, the name of the person spoken to, the time of day and the wind conditions at the time of the call. What were you calling about?
Ms. Elmes: Complaints about the noise of the wind turbines.
Mr. Wright: You report that the wind was calm when you called.
Ms. Elmes: It is possible that it was about the noise through the night. I didn’t want to call in the night and disturb everybody. Most of the calls were placed when the noise was present.
Mr. Gillespie: We see the notation as being calm in several instances.
Ms. Elmes: That was at ground level. There could be a huge amount of noise from the turbines. They are getting wind above. That impacts our property.
Mr. Gillespie: We have heard evidence around events in your notes, what happened on Feb 9th, 2012
Ms. Elmes: Two MOE officers visited. They were there for about an hour.
Mr. Gillespie: What equipment did they bring with them?
Ms. Elmes: Nothing.
Mr. Gillespie: What discussion did yo have with them about that?
Ms. Elmes: I asked what they would do to monitor compliance. They said that they could not measure for compliance. They would compare the sounds with other noises in the environment. I asked them to visit during the evening when the turbines were louder. The turbines were not making noise at the time. They said that they would not visit outside of business hours. I was told to continue to call in with complaints.
Mr. Gillespie: April 15, 2011 at 1:10pm?
Ms. Elmes: An MOE officer arrived unannounced. I was working in the garden. It was windy and turbulent. He stopped by because it was windy. The conditions and time of day had no similarity to the times that I called. The noise from the turbines was not a problem at that specific time. He had no equipment to measure noise. I asked about a protocol. I asked if someone was available after business hours. He said that he could not do that.
Mr. Gillespie: May 12th, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: That was a day that I was making phone calls to area supervisors about the issues that we were having. We were trying to get a copy of the noise abatement plan. They told me that I needed to file a freedom of information request.
Mr. Gillespie: May 26th, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: We had made a noise complaint call. They said that they had to come from the Windsor office they arrived two hours later. The noise was no longer noticeable.
Mr. Gillespie: June 6, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: I was on the phone and could not get to the door in time. There may have been an attempt for a visit, but I missed it. It was not noisy at the time.
Mr. Gillespie: June 21, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: That was in the evening the MOE officer called and wanted to come out to listen to what was going on at the home. She was in Windsor. There was a severe thunderstorm moving in. I suggested that it would be a waste of time. She would not have been able to hear the noise.
Mr. Gillespie: August 15, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: Two officers arrived at my home. The wind had shifted direction. We had a conversation about the equipment available. They told me to keep calling.
Mr. Gillespie: Sep 26, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: This was during the day, we got redirected to the local office. My husband left a phone message. We did not get a return call. That was disturbing.
Mr. Gillespie: Oct 12, 2011?
Ms. Elmes: That was a phone call form an officer to confirm a record of complaint. He indicated there was not much that they could to do resolve this. They were waiting for a noise monitoring protocol. He indicated that continuing to call was ok.
Mr. Gillespie: What is this map?
Ms. Elmes: It shows the location that I live in. I have marked locations of neighbours who are having issues. They call to tell me about the problems that they are having.
Ms. Davis: I object. We have no information on these people. He do not know their names or addresses.
Mr. Wright: Can we hear evidence on the general nature of the issue without getting in to specific evidence?
Ms. Davis: There is nothing in her witness statements that speaks to this evidence. She made general statements about talking to her neighbours and being a spokes person.
Mr. Gillespie: I am not going to ask you to identify specific people or addresses. I will ask general questions about your interactions with people in the community. Can you tell us what communications that you have had in the community about IWTs.
Ms. Elmes: It is a change in our environment. It is a point of regular conversation. I have been vocal about what is happening with my family. People will call and visit to talk about what is going on in our neighbourhood. People are having problems with the noise levels. Other people are having sleep issues. Other people are expressing changes in their health. People are asking about solutions. My time is spent trying to help them file complaints. I have noticed noise monitoring equipment at several locations.
Mr. Gillespie: When did you first start hearing from others about this?
Ms. Elmes: Right away after the startup of the turbines. Sometimes before. Sometimes people didn’t realize where the turbines were being placed. They didn’t realize the impact that the turbines would have on them.
Mr. Gillespie: How frequently would you hear from others?
Ms. Elmes: It seems like a daily occurrence. It is on a daily basis from others living near wind farms in other municipalities.
Mr. Gillespie: What steps have people taken as a result?
Ms. Elmes: There is a whole range of things that have gone on. People are installing central air conditioning so they don’t need to have their windows open. Several are sleeping in their basements. A neighbour has left his home. Others sleep in the ditch at night to find a place to rest. That is the kind of things happening in the community. Some are installing waterfalls in their homes to mask the noise of the turbines.
Mr. Gillespie: Those are the end of my questions.
Mr. Gray: You have been living in your current home for 16 years?
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You operate a small farm?
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You don’t have another residence?
Ms. Elmes: Correct
Mr. Gray: This wind farm has 43, 2.3mw siemens turbines.
Ms. Elmes: Right
Mr. Gray: Looking at your home on the map, I understand the the closest turbine is #11. It is at a distance 1700 metres.
Ms. Elmes: I thought that it was closer, but that could be correct.
Mr. Gray: There are three others within 2000m?
Ms. Elmes: T11, T12 and T5. T9 and T10 are further away, within 2500m. I can see about 20. The house is surrounded on three sides.
Mr. Gray: You don’t like the visual appearance of the turbines?
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: you are the spokesperson for the Chatham Kent wind action group?
Ms. Elmes: Correct. Form the beginning.
Mr. Gray: The group has raised concerns including health, property values, and wildlife. You joined group 3 years before the wind farm became functional and spoke out against it before it was constructed.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: Letter to the editor September 8th, 2007 from Ms. Elmes on behalf of the wind action group. You raised a number of concerns in the letter. You claim that this project would drastically change the landscape, the impacts on wildlife, lower property value, noise and intermittent generation. This was three years before the wind farm started operating.
Ms. Elmes: Yes.
Mr. Gray: Another letter to the editor April 26, 2008 “Turbines harm the economy”. This letter indicated some economic opportunities lost by installing the turbines.
Ms. Elmes: Those are things that my family was not doing. Home renovations were suspended. We were not sure if we should continue to invest in our home. Others said the same things. Not going ahead with construction plans. People’s concerns were so grave that they were expressing their concerns. I started the letter with the point that there were 725 proposed turbines in the area. That would impact on the whole municipality I wanted to inform and voice my concerns and to educate people as to what was happening in the community.
Mr. Gray: And you suggest that you were not trying to stop the installation?
Ms. Elmes: Our group would present the evidence. At the wind open houses they present their side. We are presenting the other side.
Mr. Gray: You were advocating that all wind development in Chatham Kent be stopped.
Ms. Elmes: Sure.
Mr. Gray: Another letter to the editor Feb 5, 2009, “Blowing money in the wind”. You have written that you are disappointed that the government continues to waste money on wind. Every tax payer should be outraged. We will have to pay more for the electricity. People will be forced from their homes. All Ontario resident will loose because of this scam. You wrote this over a year before the project started operating.
Ms. Elmes: It was not until I started investigating the project that I developed these cancers about what it would do to our area and the province.
Mr. Gray: You were concerned about the property values and impacts on the landscapes. You believe that this is a scam?
Ms. Elmes: I do. I have not found any evidence that tells me that it will help the environment or the economy. This is not something that I enjoy. The industry will not provide a solution. It is impacting our community. It is not something that I thought that I would have to do.
Mr. Gray: You have sent a number of letters to the editor like this. You raise questions about health impacts. You state that it is criminal that the government is proceeding. That is a year before the project was started.
Ms. Elmes: Other projects have been built. There are projects in other locations where people are having problems. To me it is criminal.
Mr. Gray: since the project began operating you continue to oppose wind farm developments and attend protests against other projects and encourage others to complain.
Ms. Elmes: That is right. People don’t know how to complain or who to complain to. We don’t want this to happen in other areas. We are providing a public service. We are providing the number to the MOE. The wind company does not give this information. Our group has shifted to public service. We are encouraging people to see their doctor if they are having issues.
Mr. Gray: You are encouraging people to voice their complaints?
Ms. Elmes: It is a public service. In a lot of calls and emails people don’t know where to turn. If we put a letter in the paper then people will know where to turn.
Mr. Gray: You r group is helping people to voice concern to the MOE. You have spoken out against the current Health Canada study? You call it a stalling tactic.
Ms. Elmes: Yes. At this point I am dealing with so many people having problems. For people to wait another couple of years for the results while people are used as guinea pigs.
Mr. Gray: You are in generally good health?
Ms. Elmes: It is good now. Before the project it was excellent. My health also encompasses my quality of life and emotional state. My overall health has drastically declined.
Mr. Gray: You have only been to the doctor once since the wind farm started operating.
Ms. Elmes: I don’t go to the doctor often.
Mr. Gray: You went in Dec 18, 2012 regarding lesions on your arm and neck.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: The health issues that you have raised, disturbed sleep. This is when the turbines are audible.
Ms. Elmes: Yes and when my husband is disrupted.
Mr. Gray: You indicated that you are personally disturbed when the windows are open in the summer.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You have never been to a sleep clinic or raised these issues with your doctor.
Ms. Elmes: No.
Mr. Gray: You indicated ear pain. Have you raised this issue with your doctor or seen a hearing specialist?
Ms. Elmes: No. I am not one who goes to the doctor. I avoid doctors. I don’t see how she can provide relief.
Mr. Gray: You visit the doctor when you have concerns, but not about these issues.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You have no medical investigations about your ears. Your physician has not determined that this is related to wind.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You are complaining about stress. Have you discussed this with your doctor, or visited a specialist?
Ms. Elmes: No.
Mr. Gray: You haven’t been diagnosed with a mental health issue, you are not receiving any treatment for stress, and no treating physition has indicated that your stress is caused by the wind farm project?
Ms. Elmes: That is correct.
Mr. Gray: The issues that you raised about the family. Your son had an asthma attach 8 months after the wind farm. He was prescribed medications and he has not had another episode.
Ms. Elmes: Correct.
Mr. Gray: You told the doctor that the only change was the wind farm operating.
Ms. Elmes: Right.
Mr. Gray: You mentioned 2 doctors appointments for your husband. Where there any others?
Ms. Elmes: Only the follow-up on his blood pressure.
Mr. Gray: He only visited the doctor once about sleep disturbance. That was a year after the wind farm started operating. He was not prescribed any medication.
Ms. Elmes: The doctor did not recommend sleep medication for a person of his age. The doctor recommended other options like camomile tea.
Mr. Gray: Did he try the doctor’s recommendations?
Ms. Elmes: Yes he did. He is trying other options.
Mr. Gray: He did not receive another opinion or have a follow-up. He has not had the issue further investigated.
Ms. Elmes: No. It is pretty clear that when he sleeps somewhere else he is better.
Mr. Gray: The doctor prescribed medication for the vertigo. There were no further investigations?
Ms. Elmes: No.
Mr. Gray: He took a day off of work. This was unusual.
Ms. Elmes: He had very few sick days.
Mr. Gray: He has been able to continue working?
Ms. Elmes: His productivity and his ability to function is diminished due to lack of sleep.
Mr. Gray: You are not working with him to observe his performance.
Ms. Elmes: No.
Mr. Gray: Those are the end of my questions.
Ms. Davis: Your letter, “blowing money on the wind”, you state that more then 10 municipalities are objecting to wind turbines. And that people all over the world are suffering health effects. Where did you get that information.
Ms. Elmes: Reading articles on the internet and emails from people who are affected by wind turbines.
Ms. Davis: Did you talk to your family doctor about those concerns?
Ms. Elmes: I can’t remember specifically.
Ms. Davis: What health effects are caused by wind turbines?
Ms. Elmes: Disrupted sleep, head aches, nausea those types of things.
Ms. Davis: Vertigo?
Ms. Elmes: I don’t remember reading about that.
Ms. Davis: What about asthma?
Ms. Elmes: No.
Ms. Davis: You were at the ERT for the Kent Breeze project?
Ms. Elmes: Yes.
Ms. Davis: Listened to the testimony of Dr. McMurtry?
Ms. Elmes: I am not sure if I was there that day.
Ms. Davis: You have seen his case definition?
Ms. Elmes: Maybe in the last year.
Ms. Davis: Have you read the book by Nina Pierpont?
Ms. Elmes: Yes, several years ago.
Ms. Davis: Your family doctor has never provided a written diagnoses that your health effects are from wind turbines.
Ms. Elmes: That is correct.
Ms. Davis: The doctor recommended that your husband exercise and loose weight?
Ms. Elmes: Suggesting that he loose weight did not seem reasonable. I did not agree with her recommendation.
Ms. Davis: Did he exercise or loose weight?
Ms. Elmes: No his lifestyle is the same.
Ms. Davis: Because of your involvement with the wind action group people will talk to you about wind issues. You said that you suggest that people visit their doctors. Do you talk to them about health effects associated with wind turbines?
Ms. Elmes: I suggest places where they should look for information.
Ms. Davis: You will pass along information that you hear about other people’s health concerns?
Ms. Elmes: Yes. I also suggest that people keep a diary of the effects that they are suffering.
Ms. Davis: You gave evidence about conversations with MOE officers. They said that they would not come out after-hours. Then you got calls from MOE officers offering to come out after hours.
Ms. Elmes: Yes. That came from conversations with district supervisors.
Ms. Davis: When they did come out, you mentioned that when they arrived the turbines noise was no longer noticeable. It is not a constant noise?
Ms. Elmes: That is true.
Ms. Davis: That evening that an MOE called was a response to a call made earlier in the evening.
Ms. Elmes: I believe so.
Ms. Davis: You did your own sound measurements. At March 6th at 9:05pm you recorded a northern wind at 15kph and 50dba. How did you mask background noise?
Ms. Elmes: The sound metre has a foam wind screen.
Ms. Davis: How did you determine the wind speed?
Ms. Elmes: I usually estimate the wind speed. There is also data provided by Environment Canada.
Ms. Davis: Does the wind screen on the metre filter out noise from wind through the trees and other noises?
Ms. Elmes: No. It was a class 2 metre for my use.
Ms. Davis: These measurement were all made with that metre?
Ms. Elmes: Yes.
Ms. Davis: You asked the ministry what they could do to measure the noise. The company offered to set up equipment on your property.
Ms. Elmes: No they didn’t.
Ms. Davis: When did you buy the noise metre?
Ms. Elmes: Before the turbines went up. I bought it to measure the noise in the area before the turbines. I wanted to know what 40db sounded like.
Ms. Davis: Those are the end of my questions.
Mr. Gillespie: You were asked about the map and where you are located on the map. What is your receptor number?
Ms. Elmes: I don’t have a receptor number because I am beyond the distance that receptor numbers are required.
Mr. Gillespie: You were asked questions about your own sleep patterns and asked if you raised concerns with your doctor. Why did you not?
Ms. Elmes: I am more worried about the other people in my family at this point. For me it is an audible noise that is causing my sleep disruption. The doctor cannot provide a solution so it would be wasting her time.
Mr. Gillespie: You did not consult about the ear issues. Why not?
Ms. Elmes: It is a thing that is not going to happen in her office. It happens in my home or around other turbines. It would not be a good use of anyone’s time.
Mr. Gillespie: You currently have a broken toe and poison ivy blistering on your arm. Have you been to the doctor about those issues?
Ms. Elmes: No. I don’t go to the doctor for small things.
Mr. Gillespie: Has Neil written any letters to the editor?
Ms. Elmes: He may have written one.
Mr. Gillespie: How much of the Erickson hearing were you able to attend?
Ms. Elmes: It would have been only the days that were at Chatham Kent. Three or four days.
Mr. Gillespie: Did you read the decision from the ERT?
Ms. Elmes: Only a few parts.
Mr. Gillespie: Read the report of the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario?
Ms. Elmes: Part of it.
Mr. Gillespie: Questions about Neil’s weight, what were your views on the doctor’s comments?
Ms. Elmes: My husband is not overweight and did not previously have high blood pressure.
Mr. Gillespie: Those are the end of my questions.
Mr. Wright: The witness is excused.
APPEC calls Mr. Davey.
Mr. Gillespie: I will lead Mr. Davey through this document.
Mr. Gillespie: You have given us your municipal address, are you able to show us where you are on the map so that the tribunal has some idea of where your house is.
Mr. Davey: It is R27.
Ms. Davis: R27 and R30 are very close together. It is actually R30.
Mr. Gillespie: The distance from turbines, how did you come up with those distances?
Mr. Davey: I talked to the MOE. They told me that it was 740m from my house.
Mr. Gillespie: You were asked about the DBA levels at your house and you stated 40. Where did you get those numbers from?
Mr. Davey: That is the maximum level allowed.
Mr. Gillespie: Any pre existing health conditions propr to the wind turbines?
Mr. Davey: I had pulmonary embolisms in March 2009 and was diagnosed with kidney cancer and my sugar was 33. I had my kidney removed and my sugar returned to normal. They kept me on medication for 6 months. My sugar was fine for a while.
Mr. Gillespie: What effects have the IWTs had on your health?
Mr. Davey: In 2010 they put the turbines up. In January 2011 they checked my kidneys and everything was ok. Six months later, my blood pressure was way up and my sugar was at 15. They put me on medication for blood pressure and to control my sugar. I was later diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. My kidney was badly scarred from high blood pressure. I have a ringing in my ears. I have a hard time sleeping. I sleep in my basements because it seems to help a little bit. I used to walk outside. I now feel a pressure on my chest and it is hard to breath. It is hard to get my breath. My bones and muscles ache. If I sleep on my one side then I get ear aches. They go away if I turn over. I have memory and concentration problems. It is mainly short term. If I am going into town for something I can’t remember what I am there for. I loose my train of thought. I have a hard time concentrating and remembering a lot of things.
Mr. Gillespie: You told us about the different medications that you are receiving and your sleeping arrangements.
Mr. Davey: I am taking 5 different blood pills I am taking sleeping pills at night. I sometimes leave the house to sleep. I have slept in the ditch beside my car. One night I went to the Ridgetown tuckshop to sleep. There was a truck running, so I left. That night I had heart palpitations and muscle aches. I looked to the side and there were turbines there. I slept in a carpool parking lot.
Mr. Gillespie: You have indicated that you had contact with the MOE.
Mr. Davey: I contacted them for studies at my house because I can’t sleep. They did a study in August 2012. The study showed that the average sound is 43.9. It rises at night and goes back down in the morning. I believe that is the problem why I am not sleeping. Due to the audible and inaudible sounds from the turbines. At night time the levels go up. It goes down at 8 in the morning and goes back up at 11 at night.
Mr. Gillespie: What were the recommendations?
Mr. Davey: They recommended that they come back out and do another study. I have contacted them dozens of times and they do not show up. They claim that it will be raining or the weather is going to change. A study was done at a neighbour’s house. There was some debate as to whether the noise recorded was due to rain. They wanted me to push the button on the recorder to determine the source of the noise. When my neighbour did that on his sound monitoring system the MOE said that it was rain. There was no rain reported on that day.
Mr. Gillespie: You make a comment here regarding discussions with doctors regarding turbines?
Mr. Davey: I asked my doctor for a cortisol check. Health Canada is doing a study to measure stress. My doctor refused the test. He said that I only wanted it for a law suit. He said that if he game me a cortisol check then he would be called crazy. Health Canada is going to be doing a study of the health effects of wind turbines.
Mr. Gillespie: In relation to the discussions with the kidney specialist?
Mr. Davey: He refused to read this. He was unable to comment on the subject.
Mr. Gillespie: Did he provide a reason for not reading the report?
Mr. Davey: No.
Mr. Gillespie: You are discussing emergency room visits.
Mr. Davey: I have been in the ER more than three times. I was in the hospital for heart palpitations. I was already on 4 blood pressure medications. They did heart monitors checks and they don’t know why I had heart palpitations.
Mr. Gillespie: You talked about breathing issues.
Mr. Davey: If I go outside the house then I have trouble catching my breath. I had a physical in 2012 and they tested by breathing and it was 107%. I should not be having trouble breathing.
Mr. Gillespie: You discussed a legal matter. Did it have anything to do with wind issues?
Mr. Davey: No.
Mr. Gillespie: Home sales or purchases?
Mr. Davey: I would like to move. I do not think that my house is sellable. I have two turbines behind my house. I don’t feel that I am happy with selling my house. If somebody bought it and got sick. I also feel that the value has dropped greatly because of the turbines.
Mr. Gillespie: What is different when you are not near IWTs?
Mr. Davey: One of the things that is very noticeable is that the heart palpitations stop. If I go outside to walk then I have pressure on my chest. If I go uptown then I don’t have any problems.
Mr. Gillespie: Family history?
Mr. Davey: Doctor told me that it is genetic, but there is nobody in my family with high blood pressure.
Mr. Gillespie: What is happening with your sleep?
Mr. Davey: My doctor recommended a sleeping pill. I also sleep in the basement. There are nights that I cannot sleep. I really don’t know why. I can’t hear audible noise, but there is probably infrasound that is keeping me awake. It is a noise or pressure that comes into your house and is known to be given off by the turbines.
Mr. Gillespie: Have healthcare professionals offered any opinion on what is causing the health effects.
Mr. Davey: No. They have not given me a reason for loss of memory or concentration.
Mr. Gillespie: In terms of sleep?
Mr. Davey: I had a sleep study done. They claim that I have sleep apnea. I had no signs of sleep amnia when I was studied for my heart palpitations. The sleep specialist said that they might not notice if they were not looking for it. My blood pressure has gone up a long way. I would have thought that waiting for a kidney operation that my blood pressure would have gone up, but it didn’t. It went up after the wind turbines started.
Mr. Gillespie: Have you written any letters to the newspaper?
Mr. Davey: No. I was interviewed once.
Mr. Gillespie: You had a hearing test done.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Gillespie: Those are all of my questions.
Mr. Cruse: Having listened to you, I have made a list of your health concerns. Do yo attribute all of these to turbines?
Mr. Davey: Most of them.
Mr. Cruse: High blood pressure and sleep disturbance?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Ringing in your ears?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Memory and concentration?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Muscle and bone pains?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Pressure in your chest?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: All of those are a result of the turbines?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You had an issue with pulmonary embolisms. You were then diagnosed with kidney cancer. The left kidney was removed. All of that had nothing to do with the wind turbines.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You r blood sugar went up and you were diagnosed with diabetes.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You now believe that your sugars have come back up because the wind turbines have started?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Your positions is that high blood pressure started after the wind farm became operational?
Mr. Davey: That is when it was high enough that the doctors started prescribing medication.
Mr. Cruse: You attribute this to the wind farm that opened in 2010.
Mr. Davey: There is another wind project nearby that opened in 2009
Mr. Cruse: You were asked a specific question about when symptoms started and you said January 2011.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Your blood pressure was high in June 2011.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You say that for high blood pressure you are taking 4 pills daily. None before wind turbines?
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: It started operating in Dec 2010. You say that is the cause of your high blood pressure.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You have had high blood pressure going back to 2007.
Mr. Davey: No.
Mr. Cruse: Do you agree that your blood pressure has fluctuated as your weight has fluctuated?
Mr. Davey: I was never told that my blood pressure was high. My weight has fluctuated.
Mr. Cruse: These are the records of your doctor. You went to her and obtained your medical records. In July 2007 you were 264 lbs. Your blood pressure was 140/100.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: The lower number of 100 is high blood pressure.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctor indicated that your blood pressure is rising. She indicated on your record BP and then an up arrow.
Mr. Davey: I don’t know what that was indicating.
Mr. Cruse: Do you see that there was a drug, altace, written on the note?
Mr. Davey: I don’t know what that is.
Mr. Cruse: In November 2007, there is a note to increase altace to 10mg. I suggest that you were diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2007 and were prescribed altace.
Mr. Davey: I was not aware that I was on blood pressure medication.
Mr. Cruse: You don’t remember any of that?
Mr. Davey: I don’t remember that I was given anything for high blood pressure.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctor was rigorous in recording your weight. November 2007, 268 lbs. In Jan 2008 you were given altace. Correct?
Mr. Davey: It could say that. I am not sure. I don’t remember this.
Mr. Cruse: If you were diagnosed and treated in 2007 and 2008, that had nothing to do with turbines.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctor is talking to you about weight and exercise?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Your weight at the time was high, 268 lbs. In 2009 your weight starts to drop. You lost a lot of weight in 2009. You lost 50lbs. Because you had cancer?
Mr. Davey: I attribute it to diet and exercise.
Mr. Cruse: By July 17, 2009 you were down to 196 lbs. Blood pressure of 120/80. To the extent that you had high blood pressure in 2007 and 2008, you agree that this had nothing to do with turbines.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Gillespie: We are receiving this witness’s opinion to the types of medication and the range of blood pressures. We are getting this witness’s opinions on his medical conditions.
Mr. Cruse: We are not looking for an expert opinion from the witness. We are talking about what the witness remembers and what is on his medical records. It is not an opinion. What is the objection? I have latitude on cross examination.
Mr. Wright: Mr. Gellespie was proceeding on the basis that lay witnesses are not able to give opinions on diagnosis.
Mr. Gillespie: We can shorten cross axamination by not allowing these questions.
Ms. Davis: He laid out his medical conditions in his examination in chief.
Mr. Cruse: The witness self diagnosed and said that the cause of his symptoms are the wind turbines. He did not provide an opinion from his doctor to support those claims. They are trying to give you their own diagnosis. The questions about blood pressure can be asked to a witness if it is something that they have knowledge about. They are trying to argue that he has high blood pressure and it is caused by wind turbines. I am entitled to go through the witness’s medical records and examine the claims being made.
Mr. Wright: The witness has been clear when there was something that he did not understand. We should continue with the cross examination.
Mr. Cruse: Once you got through your cancer treatment your weight started to ride again August 2009, 202lbs. September 2009, 208lbs. Jan 2012, 239 lbs. Your doctor made a note of that. “Increased weight gain!! Increased blood pressure.” Your doctor gave you samples. Do you remember in January 2010 getting a blood pressure medication?
Mr. Davey: No I don’t.
Mr. Cruse: Nov 2010, your weight was up to 260 lbs and your blood pressure was 172/106.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Your blood pressure was very high at that time. That was before the wind turbines were not working.
Mr. Davey: The other farm had been operating for almost a year.
Mr. Cruse: In your witness statement you told us that your blood pressure problems didn’t happen until 2011.
Mr. Davey: I wasn’t given any blood pressure medication that I knew of in 2011.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctor gave you medications in 2010 for blood pressure. When you have only one kidney, your blood pressure needs to be kept lower. You were told that.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: This is a typed note from the health sciences centre from your doctor, Nov 2009. You had the surgery the previous summer. It states that your blood pressure should be less than 140/80. You knew that?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Lets assume the accuracy of this recording 172/106 is way higher than it is supposed to be.
Mr. Davey: Yes, way higher.
Mr. Cruse: The Talbot wind farm was not operating at that time.
Mr. Davey: Correct, but the other one nearby was.
Mr. Cruse: You stated that you were not on medication at that time.
Mr. Davey: I did not know that I was on blood pressure medication at that time.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctors have been trying to keep your blood pressure below 140/80 and were treating you for that?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You say that your blood pressure increased in June 2011. It was high in 2010.
Mr. Davey: It was higher in 2011.
Mr. Cruse: In 2010 it was 172/106. In 2011 it was down to 170/98 and your weight was down to 250lbs. That is lower than in 2010.
Mr. Davey: I agree.
Mr. Cruse: I am not saying that this is low, but it was highest before the Talbot wind turbines were on?
Mr. Davey: There were still the other ones nearby.
Mr. Cruse: You did not provide any information about te other wind farms.
Mr. Davey: I thought that my blood pressure was fine before 2011.
Mr. Cruse: Your blood sugars went high in 2009, but they recovered and you did not need medication after a month.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: On July 2009, the second last line says “ween off metformin”.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You did not have another problem with diabetes until the turbines started? You were back on metformin long before the Talbot wind farm started.
Mr. Davey: Correct. The other wind farm was running.
Mr. Cruse: Pharmacy records from 2010, the first medication in Jan 2010 was metformin. You were back on it after only a few months.
Mr. Davey: I was going on a trip and could be without my prescriptions for three months. I took a lot of medication with me.
Mr. Cruse: You refilled your prescription three months before the Talbot project started.
Mr. Davey: The other turbines were operating. I am claiming that turbines raised my blood sugar.
Mr. Cruse: You were being treated for both diabetes and blood pressure before the turbines arrived.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: The only time that you did not have medication was form August 2009 to January 2010. Correct?
Mr. Davey: I did get some tabs to take while I was away. I got 50 tabs. From January to August I may have had about a month and a half of pills.
Mr. Cruse: The only time that you did not have a prescription is three months.
Mr. Davey: That is correct. Turbines started in November 2009. That was the other project.
Mr. Cruse: Now you are telling us that some other project in November 2009 triggered your diabetes?
Mr. Davey: Yes, and the weight gain.
Mr. Cruse: Lets talk about your sleep. You have severe sleep apnea.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: That has been apparent to your doctors and they have told you that.
Mr. Davey: The doctors should have known that when I was in for surgery. I believe that I have sleep apnea now, but I don’t believe that I had it before.
Mr. Cruse: You have had that confirmed in a sleep study.
Mr. Davey: That is what they said.
Mr. Cruse: You r doctor has written that you have severe sleep apnea with good results from CPAP?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You are claiming sleepless nights due to wind turbines. You understand that sleep apnea is a mechanical problem.
Mr. Davey: I also have bone and muscle pain.
Mr. Cruse: You have obstructive sleep apnea?
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You are suggesting that it is caused by the turbines.
Mr. Davey: It started after the turbines.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctors said that they could treat the problem.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You had a sleep study that showed severe sleep apnea. You were surprised by these findings?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: They told you that sleep apnea can affect your memory?
Mr. Davey: They did.
Mr. Cruse: They told you to use CPAP?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: They applied a nasal CPAP and your problems were better?
Mr. Davey: I did not have a good night sleep.
Mr. Cruse: You told them that you could not afford a CPAP. You were given a prescription.
Mr. Davey: I bought a CPAP and do not use it often.
Mr. Cruse: When did you do that?
Mr. Davey: I am not sure.
Mr. Cruse: You saw them in November of last year. Can you not remember?
Mr. Davey: It was in the last few months.
Mr. Cruse: When you went to the sleep study you were trying to blame the turbines.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You r doctor notes that you brought reports on the effects of turbines.
Mr. Davey: They were unable to comment.
Mr. Cruse: They tested you and you were given advice to use a CPAP?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Were you given advice to loose weight?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: They told you that sleep apnea can result in memory problems and is related to high blood pressure?
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: Has anybody told you that sleep problems are a result of wind turbines?
Mr. Davey: There are musculoskeletal issues related to wind turbines. That is what sleep apnea is.
Mr. Cruse: Lets talk about muscle and bone pain. You say that you have had muscle and bone pain since 2011 because of wind turbines. You have bene diagnosed with severe inflammatory osteoarthritis. Your doctor prescribed Tylenol Arthritis instead of Alive. You were on Alive before this?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that happens over time?
Mr. Davey: No I have not been told that.
Mr. Cruse: Has anybody told you that wind turbine cause osteoarthritis?
Mr. Davey: No. They can cause sleep disturbance and that can have other effects.
Mr. Cruse: By this time you know that you have sleep apnea.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: When did you start to have sleep apnea?
Mr. Davey: I don’t know. I started having sleep problems after they started turning on the turbines near my house.
Mr. Cruse: You had a stress test in January. You could not handle the test. They gave you a drug for that.
Mr. Davey: I don’t know what they gave me, but they injected me with a drug.
Mr. Cruse: You had the stress test on January 9th. It showed ischemia in your heart.
Mr. Davey: No.
Mr. Cruse: your doctor asked you if you had a heart attack. You said that you had not.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: High blood pressure raises issues for your heart. Your doctors told you that you need to eat well and exercise.
Mr. Davey: As much as you can.
Mr. Cruse: Your high blood pressure affects your one remaining kidney.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: You describe it as scarred. Your specialist in London talks about issues and say that you have chronic kidney disease. It was damaged by high blood pressure. Your doctor told you how important it is to loose weight.
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Mr. Cruse: They told you about the need for a sleep study a year before. That you have signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
Mr. Davey: It also says that I was diagnosed with hypertension and high blood pressure.
Mr. Cruse: On the subject of heart palpitations, January 2011 is when you tell us that they started.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: Your statement is that you have sleepless nights and heart palpitations.
Mr. Davey: It may have started in December 2010 or that area.
Mr. Cruse: If I were to suggest that you did not report heart palpitations in the first 6 months of 2011, would that be correct.
Mr. Davey: No. I told the ER doctors. I do not have those documents. I sent away for them.
Mr. Cruse: You have been to the ER several times. June 2011 you saw a doctor at the Windsor cardiac centre. You have also been diagnosed with high cholesterol and are being treated for that.
Mr. Davey: Not that I know of.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctor states that you are quite sedentary and that yo deny any chest pain, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Mr. Cruse: You were asked by a cardiologist on June the 20th, 2011 if you had palpitations and you said no.
Mr. Cruse: You told this tribunal that you had palpitations starting in January, 2011. You didn’t report heart palpitations to the cardiologist 6 months later.
Mr. Davey: I would have to check when I was in the ER.
Mr. Cruse: If you are seeing a cardiologist in June 2011 and you have been having heart palpitations for the preceding 6 months then that would be a pretty important fact to tell the cardiologist.
Mr. Davey: Definitely.
Mr. Cruse: You would be worried about your heart. You would want the cardiologist to know that.
Mr. Davey: I don’t know why I would say that I didn’t.
Mr. Cruse: Did you deny that you were having palpitations?
Mr. Davey: I don’t know why I would.
Mr. Cruse: Your doctors are listed in your documents. You have had several doctors. (Lists 7 doctors for different issues)
Mr. Cruse: You were asked about cortisol levels. Your doctor refused. Is that why you changed doctors?
Mr. Davey: I don’t agree with how he was treating me.
Mr. Cruse: Those are all of my questions.
Ms. Davis: Dr. Hanson said that information on the internet about health issues and wind turbines should be disregarded. How long have you been reading those documents?
Mr. Davey: Since 2011
Ms. Davis: You started reading when the turbines went up?
Mr. Davey: I started reading about 10 months after the project started in December 2010.
Ms. Davis: Why did you start reading about them?
Mr. Davey: My neighbour started telling me about it.
Ms. Davis: The specialist did not comment?
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Ms. Davis: Your doctor has also rejected the idea that wind turbines are the cause of your health problems.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Ms. Davis: That does not cause you to question whether the turbines are the not the cause.
Mr. Davey: No it does not.
Ms. Davis: You have ringing in your ears?
Mr. Davey: It get louder at night and changes tone.
Ms. Davis: Is that disturbing?
Mr. Davey: It does not allow me to sleep. It coincides with my sleep disruption.
Ms. Davis: Your sleep disruption is not from audible noise?
Mr. Davey: It is from infrasound. It started with the wind turbines.
Ms. Davis: You got that idea form the internet.
Mr. Davey: Correct.
Ms. Davis: The lawsuit that you mentioned was against a former employer?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Ms. Davis: You talked about a decrease in property value. Is that a concern?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Ms. Davis: Are you concerned abut the impact of the view?
Mr. Davey: No. I like the looks of them. I don’t agree with what they are doing to me.
Ms. Davis: You mentioned that you were assaulted by a family member. When?
Mr. Davey: 2005.
Ms. Davis: Going back to the noise report. You mentioned pushing the button. The MOE said that when there was a noise you should push the button. You were told that they needed at least three of these?
Mr. Davey: They said that they needed me to press the button. In August the winds were low. It is loud in the winter and at other times. I wanted them to came back. My neighbour had his done in December. It was out of compliance.
Ms. Davis: It does not say that it is out of compliance. If you factor in background noise.
Mr. Davey: I was under the impression that 40db is the maximum allowed. There is no background noise at night. When I go outside the turbines are all that I hear.
Ms. Davis: There is no sound of the wind in the trees or cars going by or birds or insects?
Mr. Davey: Not in the middle of the night.
Ms. Davis: Have you discussed your problems with Ms. Elmes?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Ms. Davis: Is that how you were approached to speak at these hearings?
Mr. Davey: No. I heard about these hearing and I contacted Eric (Mr. Gillespie)
Ms. Davis: Those are my questions.
Mr. Gillespie: You have the noise report. In the conclusions and recommendations, it talks about background noise. Can you read the last sentence.
Mr. Davey: The analysis is inconclusive and another round of testing is recommended. It has been put off and they have not come back to test again. I wanted it done in the winter. That is when it affects me more.
Mr. Gillespie: You were asked about changing your doctor. You said in the questionnaire I am not sure how to obtain medical records. My doctor became mad when I asked for a cortisol test?
Mr. Davey: My doctor became angry and said that I only wanted it for a law suit. If he gave the test he would loose his licence. I needed a doctor that will give me the medical care that I needed. The Health Canada study is using cortisol testing to determine stress.
Mr. Gillespie: We looked at medical records, You were taken to the record of your visit at the London health science centre. They say that they would like your blood pressure to be 140/80. What does that mean to you?
Mr. Davey: That is where I should be.
Mr. Gillespie: Medication for blood sugar, it shows a prescription being filled in January 2010. Why was that asked for?
Mr. Davey: I was leaving on a trip for work for up to three months.
Mr. Gillespie: How much did you end up using?
Mr. Davey: I used it all, but over a period of 8 months. 50 tabs is good for 2 months. I used it when my sugar was high. I was not taking them on a regular basis.
Mr. Gillespie: How many pages of records have you produced?
Mr. Davey: I don’t know, maybe 50?
Mr. Gillespie: The doctor has said that you denied reporting palpitations.
Mr. Davey: I don’t believe that I said that I had no palpations.
Mr. Gillespie: Do you remember any discussions around that?
Mr. Davey: No. I do not.
Mr. Gillespie: We are aware of the dates for the Talbot wind turbine project. You talked about another project?
Mr. Davey: It is about 2.4 kms from my house there are 5 turbines there. I can hear them if the wind is blowing from the proper direction. I am sure that it affects me.
Mr. Gillespie: Do you know when that project went in to operation?
Mr. Davey: November 2009.
Mr. Gillespie: And the Talbot project?
Mr. Davey: December 2010.
Mr. Gillespie: The sleep clinic. How long after the first project was started did you do this ?
Mr. Davey: A little less than 3 years.
Mr. Gillespie: And the Talbot project?
Mr. Davey: It would be less than 2 years.
Mr. Gillespie: There is a section on sleep history. “Mr. Davey believes that this is a result of the wind turbines. We are seeing him because of possible sleep apnea that may be contributing to daytime sleepiness.” Can you tell the date on this report?
Mr. Davey: It looks like October 10th, 2012.
Mr. Gillespie: You were asked about this type of inflamation, osteoarthritis, how long does that take to develop?
Mr. Davey: I don’t know.
Mr. Gillespie: Have you received medical requests to be examined by other doctors with the wind company or the MOE?
Mr. Davey: No. No one.
Mr. Gillespie: That completes my questions.
Ms. Gibbs: I have one question. The MOE sound report, this is a photograph of your home?
Mr. Davey: Yes.
Ms. Gibbs: Which project is this picture from?
Mr. Davey: The Talbot project. Those are T1 and T2
Mr. Wright: You indicated that you didn’t hear the turbine noise in the house. Your concern is the inaudible noise. Is that correct?
Mr. Davey: Yes, that is correct. I can hear the turbines with the windows open. I don’t sleep upstairs any more.
Mr. Wright: Those are my questions. The witness is excused.
The hearing will continue at 9:30 Wednesday morning.
Jason.
ert notes 