“The farther these wind turbines are from human settlements, the lower the noise. Observing these distances, often including in-laws in many countries, I haven’t encountered any nation where the distance stood at 300 meters. The smallest distances are 500 meters, and even our Western neighbours have a minimum distance of a kilometre,” stated Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska in an interview with Editor-in-chief Tomasz Sakiewicz on TV Republika’s “Journalistic Poker.” He was discussing the adverse health effects of wind farms being too close to residential areas.
On November 28th, a group of MPs from Poland 2050 – Third Way and the Civic Coalition submitted a proposal to the Sejm (Polish parliament) to amend the energy consumers’ support law, extending the freeze on energy prices until June 30, 2024. Additionally, the proposal included provisions to liberalize the establishment of wind farms and turbines in Poland.
Controversy Surrounding ‘Lex Kloska’: PM Morawiecki Questions Turbine Law’s Impact on Polish Interests
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki conveyed yesterday that the Law and Justice Party (PiS) is demanding a commission regarding the “lex Kloska.” “The law is not in the interest of Poles, so whose interest was it written for? With whom were the regulations consulted, and who pushed for a solution favourable to foreign turbine producers?” he questioned. He highlighted another intriguing provision in the law allowing the use of parts produced no earlier than 4 years before the investment date for modernization purposes. This implies that scrap from Germany will be imported to Poland and used as spare parts for Polish wind turbines, he added. He stated that this “wind turbine law” reveals how the pockets of citizens will be drained if “a coalition of Polish matters” does not emerge within a week.
Kraska Urges Commission Establishment: Critiques Majority’s Opposition to Wind Law Scrutiny
Regarding this matter, Waldemar Kraska assessed that the current majority would likely not allow such a commission. “They explicitly say they now have the majority and will decide on the commissions to be formed. However, I think this commission should be established because, as the Prime Minister said, it’s truly extraordinary to introduce solutions like this into a long-awaited law that Poles anticipate. We have already submitted such a law to the Sejm; apparently, there is no freeze, so it should be processed. It’s simply exploiting the moment to introduce a very bad law through the back door,” he commented.
Health Implications of Wind Farms: Waldemar Kraska Explores Adverse Effects on Nearby Residents
During the program, Waldemar Kraska also discussed the impact of the close proximity of wind farms on people’s health. “Research has been ongoing for many years on the effects of wind farms on the health of individuals living nearby. This can be divided into three elements. Firstly, there are subjective impressions—people living close to such farms are often irritated, feeling it is burdensome and unsatisfactory to have a turbine nearby,” he stated.
“The next element involves physiological effects. It’s frequently reported by individuals living nearby that they feel restless, experience ringing in their ears, and many researchers show that this occurs as well,” he continued. “There are other conditions too. Sleep can be disrupted, as well as cognitive abilities, such as learning. Here, the most significant factor is, of course, the noise emitted by these devices. Naturally, the farther the turbine is from human settlements, the lower the noise. Observing the distances specified in the laws of many countries, I haven’t encountered a nation where the minimum distance is 300 meters. The smallest distances are 500 meters, and the minimum distances in our Western neighbours’ laws are a kilometre,” he observed.