Wind turbines visible from 50 km away
The Chronicle Journal | October 20, 2012 | www.chroniclejournal.com
The Chronicle Journal | October 20, 2012 | www.chroniclejournal.com
I have a few observations in regard to the recent media campaign by Horizon Wind.
Recently, I had an opportunity to enjoy a view from the top of a high hill south of the Lac des Iles Mine, and lo and behold what did I see far above the horizon to the southeast? Wind turbine blades spinning in the wind from the Greenwich Wind Farm more than 50 kilometres away!
They seemed like huge mechanical monsters trying to claw their way over the horizon. More than 50 kilometres away!
How ridiculous is the additional two-kilometre setback proposed by Horizon Wind?
A quick check on the government website of the hundreds of square kilometres that have been set aside by the province for the purpose of wind farms reveals hundreds of other sites in remote locations that would be better suited for the farms.
In addition, Gord Miller, Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, wrote the following in the Toronto Star:
“ . . . the province needs to increase protection for migratory bats, which are the bats most at risk of being killed by wind turbines. These long-distance travellers account for 75 per cent of all wind turbine deaths for bats. But the MNR guidelines focus instead on non-migrating populations, with rules preventing turbines near caves, abandoned mines, buildings and barns where local bats hibernate.”
The people who erected the wind farm at Greenwich Lake were not aware of an abandoned mine in the area until it was brought to their attention by me several years ago.
In addition, the wind farm is very close to the bat cave at Cavern Lake, another factor that should have been instrumental in not placing the farm near that location.
If mining companies have to go through an intensive environmental assessment before mining, so should the companies erecting these monster turbine farms.
John Scott
Thunder Bay
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/20/wind-turbines-visible-from-50-km-away/