LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]



Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Green candidate documents direct connection between wind farm and site clearance 

Credit:  Treat Hull, countylive.ca 12 September 2011 ~~

Treat Hull, the Green Party’s candidate for MPP in Prince Edward – Hastings released the following statement documenting the connection between wind farm development and this week’s disruptive site clearance activity.

Supporters of the Liberal government’s plan to put an industrial wind farm in the Provincial Wildlife Area and Important Bird Area at Ostrander Point in Prince Edward County have claimed that there is no connection between the proposed wind farm and this week’s disruptive clearing of large parts of the site by the Department of National Defence (DND) to search for unexploded ordinance (“UXO”).

In reality, the documentation released by the DND demonstrates that the intrusive operations in the environmentally sensitive site were undertaken in direct support of the Gilead wind farm project.

Emails released by the DND which were sent to the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) to explain the project and clarify permit requirements state that ‘UXO (unexploded ordinance) survey and clearance activities will be conducted in response to development/ construction projects in Prince Edward County’. Gilead Power’s wind farm is the only development/construction proposed for the site.

The chronology of events based on publicly-available information is:
2006. Wind farm developer Gilead starts wind monitoring at Ostrander Point.
January 2008. Gilead holds first public open house
August 2008. Gilead holds second public open house
September 2008. Nick Sanders (DND) emails Christine Brown (MOE) to ask if any permits are required for DND’s proposed unexploded ordinance work at Ostrander Point. The only justification for the ordinance sweep was “UXO survey and clearance activities will be conducted in response to development/construction projects in Prince Edward County”.

March 2011. DND publishes Draft Screening Report which includes above email correspondence, along with the disclosure that the only consultation outside government was with Gilead: ‘The wind farm proponent, Gilead, was consulted to determine footprint of the windfarm and to and to coordinate respective project activities’.

It should be noted that the technical references cited by the Draft Screening Report include the ‘Royal Road Wind Project: Environmental Review Report’ for a neighboring but defunct wind farm.

No disrespect is intended to the DND or the individuals on the ground who are ‘just doing their jobs.’ It is regrettable that the DND has been inadvertently drawn into a controversial agenda of the McGuinty government.

The incident does raise important issues about the way incumbent MPP Liberal Leona Dombrowsky has ignored or downplayed widespread citizen concerns about putting a wind farm in the Important Bird Area, a location which wind supporters and foes alike have called ‘the worst possible location for a wind farm’ because of its impact on migratory birds and endangered wildlife species. As recently as this week, Ms. Dombrowsky responded to constituents’ concerns by downplaying the significance of the clearance operation and to deny any connection with the Ostrander Point wind farm.

Ms. Dombrowsky’s off-hand dismal of well-founded citizen concerns is part of a pattern of  inflexible defense of Dalton McGuinty’s agenda. Prince Edward-Hastings deserves an representative who understands that their role is to represent the votes, not to represent the Liberal government.”

The documentation referred to may be downloaded from Treat Hull’s campaign web site at
http://www.give-em-hull.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DND-Ostrander-Point-Do
cumentation.pdf

-Treat Hull

Source:  Treat Hull, countylive.ca 12 September 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon