July 21, 2012
Alberta

Power struggle in Cochrane

calgary.ctvnews.ca 20 July 2012

Most people are in favour of green power, but what would you think if a massive wind turbine project was proposed for an area across the street from your house?

People who live near the Cochrane High School are asking themselves that very question after the school applied to the town for a permit to construct a wind turbine.

The school is located in a residential neighborhood and people who live close by say they support sustainable energy, but draw the line at a turbine taller than the trees.

Some residents say they’re worried about property values and also the possible health effects of the continuous low frequency noise generated by the turbine.

Those who live close to the school are banding together to make sure their neighbours are provided with information about the project.

“I have a lot of neighbours support, so it’s not just me, there’s people helping. You know, we’re all delegating and trying to find out, okay, who’s got time for this, who’s got time for that, and a lot of late nights,” said Brenda Samborski.

“There is an appeal period after the development permit has been considered by the planning commission, so anybody with, any interested party has the opportunity to appeal the decision,” said Jared Kassel from the Town of Cochrane.

Residents opposing the wind turbine project are hosting an information session next Thursday evening in front of the Cochrane High School’s main doors.

Just last week, Health Canada announced that it will conduct a study into the effects of wind turbine noise on people who live near the power generators.

The study will look at a sample size of 2000 homes that are located near wind turbine installations in Canada.

For more on the study, visit the Health Canada website.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/21/power-struggle-in-cochrane/