OAKWOOD, IL. (ECWd) –
Early this morning, there was a wind turbine failure at the California Ridge Wind Farm just north of Oakwood, Illinois near the Newtown Middle School location.
What we do know at this time is that blade debris was thrown an unknown distance from the turbine, and residents described the incident as “sounded like loud thunder” and “sounded like two trains crashing”. Witnesses also state that the incident shook their whole house, somewhat similar to an earthquake.
InvEnergy workers are on site and have cleaned the debris from the surrounding field, dragging it up to the base of the turbine.
A few days ago during the power outage on November 18, 2013 caused by strong storms, InvEnergy did not have had a plan for lighting the tower safety warning lights (not lit or flashing during power outages), or that plan miserably failed this time. The warning lights were inoperative from 5 PM till 9 PM.
This power outage and subsequent failure of the warning light system could have resulted in airplanes not seeing the turbines and crashing in to them. Thankfully that did not happen, but it is a subject that needs to be immediately addressed.
6 Comments
Jim Hurt
Posted at 21:15h, 21 DecemberJim Hurt liked this on Facebook.
Jeffrey R Savoie
Posted at 21:15h, 21 DecemberJeffrey R Savoie liked this on Facebook.
Justin Wilson
Posted at 01:21h, 26 NovemberAirplanes have maps that show where lit structures are. Every flight plan is supposed to check the maps. A pilot is not supposed to rely on visual alone. The FAA basically says the lights are there for backup.
jmkraft
Posted at 06:33h, 26 NovemberIt is a requirement, and the FAA is supposed to be notified when they are not working.
Steven Moultrup
Posted at 12:54h, 23 NovemberA blade on a new 1.6 – 100 turbine being tested broke last Sunday (11/16) at the Orangeville NY wind farm. Invenergy shut down the entire project. Maybe we’ll have a few more weeks of silence. See Batavia Daily News Online.
Fair
Posted at 12:26h, 21 NovemberJust 3 days ago a 400’ turbine threw a blade over 1500’ away in California. Three weeks ago it happened in Michigan. Yet decision makers still say these issues do not exist…
Green energy alternatives are important, but responsibility matters most. Even if hardcore pro-wind groups won’t admit it, by disregarding responsibility, the Wind industry is damaging its own image and popularity – rightfully so.
~Even Armstrong Superintendent William Mulvaney recently acknowledged his students living in the industrial wind footprint of the California Ridge Project were showing signs of stress, irritability and fatigue…
Check out Fairwindenergy.org for other firsthand accounts of wind turbine issues as they relate to proximity of homes.
Green Responsibility matters most!
http://www.fairwindenergy.org