July 18, 2012
Ontario
Ontario
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bailey and MP Davidson call for wind turbine moratorium during related health study
By Joe Burd | www.lambtonshield.com 18 July 2012
By Joe Burd | www.lambtonshield.com 18 July 2012
On Thursday, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey joined with Sarnia-Lambton MP Pat Davidson in calling for a moratorium on continued industrial wind turbine development while Health Canada conducts a study of the relationship between wind turbine noise and health effects.
MPP Bailey and MP Davidson issued the call for a moratorium as Health Canada prepares to study 2,000 dwellings selected from 8-12 wind turbine installation facilities in Canada. In addition to taking physical measurements from participants, such as blood pressure, investigators will conduct face-to-face interviews and take noise measurements inside and outside of homes. Yet, despite the Health Canada study the provincial Liberal government continues to blanket Southwestern Ontario with large scale industrial wind turbine development, like the 100 MW (45-65 wind turbines) project planned for Plympton-Wyoming. In fact, since 2009 over 900 wind turbines have shot up in rural Ontario, and the Liberal government has already given approval for another 2,000.
“The fact is that Health Canada believes industrial wind turbines need to be scrutinized by their researchers and scientists because many questions still exist about the affects of wind turbines on individuals,” said MPP Bailey.
“I have heard from thousands of people from across Southwestern Ontario and they have told me loud and clear that they would like to see a pause by the Liberal Government, a moment to stop and consider the broader impact of these machines and their placement near homes and communities. This study is a good time for that pause.”
In calling for the cooling off period MPP Bailey and MP Davidson join a growing list of elected officials in Southwestern Ontario who are concerned by the unchecked pace of industrial wind turbine development in the area and the possible repercussions. The call for a moratorium follows-up on earlier efforts at Queen’s Park by MPP Bailey and the Ontario PC Party including:
• PC MPP Todd Smith’s Bill 10 – designed to restore local planning authority to municipal councils;
• PC MPP Lisa Thompson’s motion proposing a moratorium on turbine construction until further health and environmental studies are completed;
• PC Opposition leader Tim Hudak’s Bill 42 – calling for an end to the Feed in Tariff Program.
“Dalton McGuinty’s failed green energy scheme is driving up the cost of energy and is preventing our local economies from achieving their full potential. With the announcement of a Health Canada health study, I am again calling for a full moratorium on further wind turbine development until the important questions about their impact can be answered,” concluded MPP Bailey.