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Des Moines County residents urge strict wind-turbine setbacks, cite risks to farms and public safety
Summary
At the Nov. 15 Des Moines County Board of Supervisors meeting, multiple residents urged the board to keep or strengthen setback rules for wind turbines, citing tornado debris, fiberglass blade contamination of hay and livestock risks; speakers asked for cleanup responsibilities and fines for operators.
Des Moines County residents used the board’s public-input period on Nov. 15 to press supervisors for strict wind-turbine setback rules and mandatory cleanup and compensation requirements should turbine blades or debris contaminate farmland.
Jeff Fisher of Pleasant Grove Township told the board that a tornado in April 2024 passed through his land and that "if that would have happened with windmills in place in these fields... fiberglass blade debris would have been scattered throughout my hay fields and my pasture." Fisher said his cattle are his only source of income and proposed setbacks measured far enough from property lines plus "special cleanup provisions in the event of such a disaster, including a hefty daily fine with interest from the current owner of said company at the time the damage is incurred." He also provided the board with a map of his property and distance measurements, saying his home is about 1,750 feet from his west property line.
Charles Tomkinson objected to minimizing debris risks, saying, "The majority of tornado fatalities are caused by exposure to high speed debris," and defended the county’s existing 1,800-foot setback, which he said was adopted into local ordinance based on engineering and insurance guidance. Tomkinson argued setback distances should scale with turbine height and cautioned that inconsistent measurements (house center versus property-line measurements) invite litigation.
Don Rolfs, a retired plant manager with more than four decades of experience in industrial operations, urged the board to write the ordinance to prioritize safety and noted his former employer implemented standards above OSHA, MSHA and Iowa DNR guidelines. He said safety considerations and proper setbacks are central to preventing long-term environmental and economic harm.
Speakers repeatedly framed their concerns as safety and economic protections for farmers and nearby residents and asked the board to retain or expand distance requirements and require enforceable cleanup and compensation provisions if turbine failures scatter blade fragments onto private land. Several commenters referenced engineering ratios that tie setback distance to turbine height; others urged that setbacks be measured from property lines to reduce contested litigation.
The remarks occurred during the meeting’s public-comment period; the board heard the concerns but did not adopt any ordinance changes during the session. The Board of Health, reported earlier in the meeting, said it has "not enough information to make any determinations" about wind turbines and has tabled further action pending additional research, according to the public-health representative.
Next steps were not decided at the meeting; the item remained in public comment and under study by county staff and relevant boards.
