June 13, 2007
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Enbridge’s representative Jane Pepino spent all of yesterday’s proceedings delivering the company’s final statement.
In her comment to Adjudicator J.P. Atcheson, Pepino went over every detail of the seven-week hearing in building Enbridge’s case while challenging the testimony and evidence brought on by the appellants.
At one point, appellant Bill Palmer was showing his frustration during Pepino’s presentation.
Palmer was reacting to Pepino’s comment of his cross-examination of some of the proponent’s key witnesses and his closing argument.
Pepino questioned whether the Ontario Municipal Board was the right place for the appellants to address their concerns since much of their argument was mostly about Ministry of the Environment guidelines.
But Kathy McCarrell of the Windfarm Action Group says the OMB was an appropriate avenue for the appellants.
Pepino went on to dispute the statistics brought forth by the appellants saying the numbers presented are not gospel.
But McCarrell says that is the reason why they are appealing to dispute Enbridge’s figures.
In a bit of a surprise move, Pepino says if the OMB were to side in favour of Enbridge and the Municipality of Kincardine, Enbridge will be going in front of Kincardine Council within 90 days of the decision to amend the remaining by-laws.
She says this is to close any loopholes and to ensure that the 500 million-dollar project will have no more than 110 turbines – they currently have 132 set to be built.
The appellants are going to respond to Pepino’s comments today as well as hear from the Municipality’s representative Steve O’Melia in the final day of the hearings.
The OMB is expected to take six to eight weeks to make their final decision in the appeals of 38 municipal by-laws.
McCarrell says the hearings have been quite exhausting and will be waiting anxiously for the decision.
By Ken Hashizume
13 June 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/13/windfarm-hearings-continue/