National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Township circulates petition against wind turbines

NORWOOD – Asphodel-Norwood Township residents who want to show their concern about the impact of industrial wind turbines on human health and property values are signing a petition.

Asphodel-Norwood council voted last week to make the petition by Progressive Conservative Durham MPP John O’Toole available to residents concerned about the spread of wind turbine developments after resident Debbie Lynch submitted the document to council.

O’Toole’s petition argues that the provincial Liberal government’s Green Energy Act “allows wind turbine developments to bypass meaningful public input and municipal approvals” and calls on Environment Minister John Wilkinson to revise the act to “allow full public input and municipal approvals on all industrial wind farm developments.”

The petition also asks the government to declare a moratorium on wind turbines until a study into their health and environmental impacts can be completed.

Noting the municipality has declared a moratorium on the construction of wind turbines in the township, Reeve Doug Pearcy said council should support Lynch’s request to make the petition available to township residents.

“There is a grave concern across the province about this Green Energy Act and how it has removed all responsibility from the municipalities. So that’s why I support this.”

The petition is available at the township office, the Norwood and Westwood libraries and other municipal facilities.

Energy Farming Ontario wants to build three 1.8-megawatt wind turbines on privately owned land south of Norwood near Hastings in a project called Wind Farm Collie Hill.

But the company has faced opposition from nearby residents, just as the company also has encountered with its other plans for wind turbines on land near Millbrook (Whispering Woods Wind Park), Bethany (Settlers Landing Wind Park and Snowy Ridge Wind Park), Roseneath (Clean Breeze Wind Park) and Orono (ZEP Wind Farm Ganaraska).

The Brighton-based company has held public meetings on all of these proposed projects over the past few months.

Community Press