May 28, 2012
Ontario

Meaford: are we fighting turbines or not?

Chris Fell, Staff | www.simcoe.com 28 May 2012

Meaford Deputy Mayor Harley Greenfield wants to know if the rest of council is willing to take on the industrial wind turbine (IWT) industry or if council is going to roll over and let turbines invade the municipality.
Deputy Mayor Greenfield made the comments about wind turbines at Meaford council’s regular meeting on Monday, May 14. His comments came in response to a presentation from local resident Mike Osborn, who asked council to implement policies that would offer further protection to people that might end up living near industrial turbines.
Greenfield told council its time for the Municipality of Meaford to make a statement to local residents and representatives of wind power companies about Meaford’s intentions.
“What I really would like this council to do, and I have mentioned this before, I think what we need to do as a council is to make a statement to our residents. Either we accept IWTs, we go along with them, accommodate them, or the other option is we can’t refuse them but, we can say to these companies, we really don’t want you folks here, we don’t welcome you here, and we’re going to throw up some roadblocks. I really wish our council would decide,” said Greenfield.
Other members of council were silent on the issue, although council has previously passed a resolution asking for a moratorium on industrial turbine development until the province fully and independently investigates health issues that surround the issue.
Greenfield’s comments about the matter came after Osborn made a presentation to council about the turbine issue.
Osborn asked Meaford council to consider passed a bylaw similar to the bylaw enacted by the Township of Wainfleet on April 10, 2012. Osborn said that under the Municipal Act municipalities are allowed to pass bylaws “for purposes related to the health, safety and well-being of inhabitants of the municipality.” Osborn said the matter is time sensitive, because that section of the Municipal Act is set to expire on July 1, 2012.
“Given the intransigence of the present Liberal government in their relentless pursuit of turbine installations, we must expect that they will revoke or not renew this provision of the Act,” said Osborn.
The Wainfleet bylaw increases the setback an industrial turbine must be from a home from 550 m up to 2 kilometres. The bylaw also requires turbine builders to provide indemnification for any loss of property value or adverse health effects to the extent of 100 per cent.
“Because other municipalities have already acted, it is becoming ever more risky for Meaford to do nothing to protect its citizens. This is because the turbine operators will undoubtedly seek the path of least municipal resistance for their machines,” Osborn told council. “Preemptive action is needed. Therefore I am urging council to pass such a regulatory bylaw. This is an action that I am quite sure will earn you the respect and gratitude of the residents of the municipality,” he said.
In response to Osborn’s presentation, Deputy Mayor Greenfield said he is willing to consider a bylaw similar to why Osborn advocated.
“The health problems and the loss of property values – those are happening. The proposed bylaw is quite lengthy. I would like to see something quite a bit shorter,” said Greenfield, noting that he wasn’t sure how a municipal bylaw would stand up against the McGuinty government’s draconian Green Energy Act. “That’s something we would have to check out,” he said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/28/meaford-are-we-fighting-turbines-or-not/