Signing wind turbine setback waivers not a good idea

Many of the over 125 planned wind turbine locations in the projects proposed for our area are too close to neighbors to be legal. To remedy the situation the wind companies are trying to get those neighbors to sign "setback waivers" aka "good neighbor agreements" to allow the turbines to be placed closer to them than the law allows. If you are considering signing such an agreement be sure you understand what you are agreeing to. Wind turbines are 600 feet tall machines with 200' long blades whose tips are moving nearly 200 mile per hour. There is documented evidence on file at the Ohio Power Siting Board showing that when these blades fail (as they do an average of 3800 times per year around the world) pieces of blade heavier than bricks can fly several hundred feet farther than the current setbacks allowed by law. At this point in the planning process, if you sign a setback waiver it will guarantee that you will have a turbine even closer than the legal limit which is already too close. This will jeopardize the safety of anyone who lives or comes onto your property. By agreeing you will, without a doubt, reduce the value of your property far more than any amount of money offered by the wind company for signing such an agreement. 600 foot tall machines operating at 4000 horsepower do not make good neighbors for many reasons, especially when they are placed too close for safety. They have been proven to be too close even at the legal distance, let alone signing a waiver to allow them closer. Your safety, and that of the people who live on and visit your property, is priceless and should not be traded for any amount of money by signing a setback waiver. Jim Feasel Eden Township