Devastation to Provincially Significant Wetlands on Wolfe Island
These are examples of the construction phase on Wolfe Island taken in March 2009. Construction led to significant flooding of agricultural and wet lands, as well as roads. Culverts, crushed by the heavy loads, were replaced and old culverts left to rust by side of the road.
Note the photographs illustrating the expansion of the road in the Provincially Significant Wetland (fishing habitat, VTE species, nesting, foraging and migrating avian species). This is the most environmentally sensitive area of the project, the western section.
Turbines said to be outside the 120m PSW setback in fact are measured from turbine base. The rotary blades encroach the wetland, allowing in some instances less than a 50m setback from hedgerows, woodlots and wetland watercourses.
This section of road-widening was required to accomodate the transportation of blades to turbine access roads and to accomodate overhead powerlines. A 200m×5m×6m stretch of wetland was lost, and no preventative measures were taken to restrict sediment or contaminants (as required by the EA). In November 2009 CREC’s subcontractor, Canadian Projects Ltd, did the planning, surveying, hauling, placing, grading and CREC provided the material from a turbine construction site (without permit required under the Aggregate Act). The company claims it was a Township road maintenance project and had nothing to do with the wind project (despite a request made to the Township Council in the midst of the project indicating this small stretch of road might require widening to accomodate the new overhead poles in October 2008).
This is the now the subject of a request for investigation under the Environmental Rights Tribunal.
23 May 2009
Click here to see more photos from Wolfe Island.
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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