ORANJESTAD — The acoustic study into the effects of windmills on health and sleep, which American researcher Michael Nissenbaum presented on Monday, induced opposition parties MEP and PDR to urge chairman of the Parliament Paul Croes to continue the debate on Urirama as soon as possible. AVP, on the other hand, said the opinion of the researcher is ‘biased’ and will simply await the research from the MER-Committee.

MEP-leader Evelyn Wever-Croes and PDR-leader Andin Bikker were present Monday afternoon at the technical presentation of the research ‘Effects on industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health’ and at the presentation to local residents in Noord later that evening.

Based on those presentations, Wever-Croes is ‘more certain now than ever before that the windmill project must be stopped’. “With this acoustic study we know for sure that windmills involve a health risk”, said the MEP-leader. She remarked that although the ministers also have this information they continue with the ‘absurd idea’ to build windmills at Urirama. “MEP is not against alternative energy but states there must be a method that is good for all people, and that is not the case. This windmill park is not permanent; it leads to health problems and the population is to pay a high price for electricity, as WEB confirmed in the Parliament.”

PDR-leader Andin Bikker stated before the Amigoe that he ‘can agree with the study’. For him it’s important that this American came to Aruba and visited the locations in question. “To my knowledge the researchers from Kema hadn’t done this.” The PDR-leader further stated that this researcher refuted seven points in Kema’s report and he finds this remarkable. Bikker said he will raise this viewpoint with the continuation of the debate on Urirama.
AVP parliamentarian Juan David Yrausquin responded on Nissenbaum’s presentation on behalf of the AVP. “We find that this researcher (whoever he may be) has a biased opinion. You can present many researchers; one will be in favor of windmills while the other is opposed. As AVP stated earlier, the party will await the results from the committee that is studying the Kema-report and other documents furnished. Those results should be presented within short.”