March 24, 2008
Ontario

Town wants more say on turbines

Leamington council wants more of a say on whether wind turbines are allowed off its shores in Lake Erie.

Council is sending a letter to the provincial government objecting to being called a “commenting agency” when environmental assessments are done on local wind projects.

Mayor John Adams said since it will affect the municipality’s residents, Leamington should not be a commenting agency but a stakeholder with more of a say in the decision. Leamington is against plans for wind turbines in the lake, he said.

“We as municipalities … are not going to have much say in it. We represent the residents of Leamington and Kingsville and Colchester. You’d think we’d have some more say than just a comment on it.”

Coun. Hilda MacDonald made the motion on the wind turbines after council received a report on the lifting of a moratorium on turbines in the lake on Crown land.

Two years ago, when a developer first proposed putting turbines off Leamington and Kingsville in Lake Erie, the province put a hold on those plans while it studied the issue. Earlier this year the province lifted the moratorium.

Southpoint Wind Power would like to put 15 turbines south of Kingsville and Leamington in a 30-megawatt project. A citizens’ group is opposing the turbines.

Sharon Hill

Windsor Star

24 March 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/24/town-wants-more-say-on-turbines/