Question 7868 — health

Summary

The Climate Plan sets an ambition for carbon neutrality for our country by 2050 and the diversification of methods of electricity production. The development of renewable energies, and more particularly onshore wind power, constitutes a major challenge in achieving this evolution of our energy mix and the decarbonization of our energy. This development must, however, be carried out with respect for the populations and the environment. Aware of the nuisance that can be generated by wind turbines, the ministries responsible for the environment and health have taken an interest in this issue and contacted the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) on the health effects of waves, and more specifically low frequencies and infrasound due to wind farms. This work included a comparison with the rules in force abroad (noise limits and distance from homes). The ANSES report thus lists the distances in force in Germany (300 m to 1000 m depending on the Länder), in Denmark and the Netherlands (four times the height of the wind turbine) as well as in Switzerland (300 m) and indicates "that no minimum distance of the installation from the most relatives is not regulated” in Finland, Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Canada, etc. This comparison and its own investigations led ANSES to confirm that: "current knowledge regarding potential health effects linked to exposure to infrasound and low sound frequencies does not justify modifying the existing limit values, nor extending the sound spectrum currently considered". In addition, ANSES specifies that “the levels measured from 500m from wind turbines are below the audibility thresholds. Apart from the nuisance linked to the audible noise of wind turbines and a nocebo effect, the agency does not identify any other proven health effects. Furthermore, the Academy of Medicine has taken up the question of possible health risks linked to wind turbines and the advisability of modifying the minimum distance distance regulations of 500 m, to increase it to 1,000 m. On the acoustic side, the academy's report published in 2017 underlines that "in any case, the noise pollution of new generation wind turbines does not appear sufficient to justify a distance of 1,000 meters".

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