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<br />Safety <br /> <br />Safety is another concern that is raised when discussing wind generators. Topics include system failure, <br />ice shedding, structural failure, and lightning strikes. Each wind generator should allow for the <br />capability of a manual override in case of electrical or system failure. Ice shedding is when ice <br />accumulates on the blade and is thrown off by the motion of the blade. Utilization of setbacks will <br />address the concerns of ice shedding and structural failure. Ice shedding can also be eliminated by <br />ceasing to use the turbine in times of severe ice accumulation. The average recommendation for a <br />setback is 1.1 to 1.5 times the height, which reduces noise, safety issues, and shadow flicker. Finally, all <br />wind generators built today have protection against lightning strikes built into the electrical system. <br /> <br />Decline in Property Values <br /> <br />To date, there has been no formal study linking the existence of a wind generator and a decline in <br />adjoining property values. There is anecdotal evidence showing a link between the presence of a wind <br />generator and a rise in property values. This topic continues to be researched. <br /> <br />Impact upon Wildlife Populations <br /> <br />Another issue that is often raised is the impact of wind turbines upon wildlife populations. Wind <br />turbines tend to have the greatest impact on bat and avian populations, with deaths resulting from <br />collisions with the blades. However, wind turbines only account for lout of every 10,000 bird deaths <br />caused by human activities. Any impact can be mitigated by the height and placement of the tower. <br />The American Wind Energy Association recommends that studies ofthe local wildlife population be <br />performed before erecting a generator. The Audubon Society has maps of migratory bird patterns that <br />can aid in placement of a wind generator. <br /> <br />Disruption of Communication Signals <br /> <br />Disruption of communication or television signals has also been identified as a concern in the placement <br />of wind generators. Generally, signals are only disrupted when a large generator is in the line of sight of <br />a communication tower. Radio signals are disrupted only if the tower for the wind generator is placed in <br />close proximity to a broadcast antenna. Any signal disruption can be mitigated by careful placement of <br />the wind generator. <br /> <br />Advocacy Groups <br /> <br />Numerous advocacy groups have surfaced in response to many ofthe facilities. One such group formed <br />in response to a proposed project in Freeborn County, MN, the Bent Tree Wind Farm (Engstrom 2009). <br />This project is proposed to contain 266 systems and produce approximately 400 megawatts of energy. <br /> <br />The advocacy group, Safe Wind in Freeborn County, states it believes this facility will lead to wind <br />turbine syndrome, which would create sleeping problems, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, irritability <br />