Offaly Wind Farm is causing serious health impacts, claim residents

A group of residents based in the Stonestown area near Cloghan are claiming that a Wind Farm in their area is causing noise pollution and health impacts.

In a statement sent to the Tribune, the Communities & Environmental Protection Alliance (CEPA) said it was calling on Offaly County Council to “immediately investigate and take action on ongoing noise pollution and health impacts caused by the Cloghan Wind Farm.”

CEPA pointed out that the residents have been submitting noise complaints to the Council for more than a year. The residents are claiming that the noise pollution has caused them “chronic sleep deprivation, mental health deterioration, and effects on children’s wellbeing.” CEPA alleges that the residents haven't received “a meaningful response” from the local authority, and the local authority is ignoring them.

The CEPA spokesperson said the complaints “tell of children waking up with bloodshot eyes, families relocating within their own homes to escape the noise, and people breaking under the pressure of nightly sleep deprivation.”
The first complaint was lodged in March 2023. CEPA states that there is no evidence that the Council has conducted an investigation into the matter. After each complaint the residents receive a standard reply: “We acknowledge receipt of your email. It has been forwarded for review to the Environment technical team.”
A review of the wind farm’s official Noise Compliance Report (dated 1 November 2023), said the CEPA spokesperson, “has revealed serious methodological flaws, including a failure to compare background noise with baseline data from the planning process, and a failure to assess 'tonal' and 'impulsive' noise, both of which are explicitly prohibited under planning conditions. These concerns mirror findings in the case of Meenwaun Wind Farm near Banagher, where disturbingly flawed reports are continuously being accepted by the Council.”

Both Meenwaun and Cloghan wind farms are operated by the same asset manager, Statkraft. Cloghan Wind Farm has 9 wind turbines. Each turbine has a blade tip height of 150 meters. The wind farm has a total capacity of 34MW and is designed to power approximately 27,000 homes.

CEPA says there is a growing health crisis in the community. It says dozens of complaints have now been recorded, with many detailing physical and psychological harm: Some quotes from the complaints include: “All-night humming… having a serious effect on mental health and energy levels.” “Kids waking up wrecked with bloodshot eyes.” “Fourth night without sleep — just not fair as a human to be treated like this.” “Our home has been destroyed and no accountability for it.”

CEPA says the current noise levels affecting Stonestown are well above the WHO 2018 guidelines. The spokesperson added that Offaly County Council has both “a legal and moral duty under the Local Government and EPA Acts to address this environmental nuisance.” With no Environmental Health Officer on staff, CEPA has requested that all current and future complaints be referred to the HSE’s Environmental Health Office for professional health based assessment.

CEPA is asking the Council to appoint an independent acoustic consultant, with no conflict of interest, to review the existing noise report and conduct new on-site testing. It also wants the Council to “engage in open dialogue with affected residents to co-create a resolution pathway.”

The spokesperson pointed out that complaints are also emerging from Rhode and Cloncreen, “making this not just a local but a county-wide crisis. Wind energy must not come at the cost of human health and dignity.”

Responding to the CEPA press statement and its claims, a member of the County Council Executive told the Tribune this week that, “We are aware of this and it is receiving attention across a number of sections in the Council.” The Executive member said he couldn't say any more than that.