By Jonathan Sher, The London Free Press, www.lfpress.com 19 August 2010
Ontario’s Natural Resources ministry is considering constraints on offshore wind farms but its not clear if the limits will appease a tidal wave of protest from those who live along Lake Huron.
The ministry this week published a draft policy that could place constraints on where turbines could be placed, including:
* Navigational lanes
* Areas of core commercial fishing activity
* Sensitive environmental and ecological areas and features
* Areas subject to important recreational activities
* Cultural heritage features
* Areas of natural gas activity
* Areas of inland lakes not subject to the proposed five kilometre exclusion zone
* Other inland waterbodies (eg Lake Simcoe, Lake Nipissing, Lake Nipigon, Lake of the Woods, etc)
Citizens will have until Oct. 4 to provide feedback and suggestions by phoning (705) 755-1499.
Three companies whose identities the Ministry hasn’t disclosed have applied to build 12 wind farms in Lake Ontario, one as close as 50 metre, the hoped-for development and uncertainty fueling anger among cottagers and residents who fear turbines will ruin their lakeside views and the tourism that is a cornerstone to beach side communities.
Ontario’s environment ministry has proposed creating a five kilometre buffer along the shoreline.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/08/20/offshore-turbines-face-new-limits/