February 28, 2013
Ontario

New motions seeking wind-farm moratorium tabled in Legislature

By WES KELLER, For the Citizen | Orangeville Citizen | 2013-02-28 | www.citizen.on.ca

MPP Lisa Thompson (PC Huron-Bruce), saying there’s evidence that industrial wind turbines (IWT) have indirect adverse effects on human health, has re-tabled motions calling for a moratorium on further wind development in Ontario.

She had filed the motions prior to the proroguing of the Legislature last fall, and now says she has evidence that the McGuinty government had evidence of “indirect” human health effects for persons living in proximity to the IWTs.

Her current tabling of the motions follows closely on the heels of Dufferin County’s call for a moratorium in connection with the Renewable Energy Approvals (REA) process for Dufferin Wind Power’s proposal for a power line on the rail corridor.

It also follows the recent approval of the REA for the three-turbine, 6.09 MW Whittington wind farm. That project, on the Mono-Amaranth Townline north from 15 Sideroad, is strongly opposed by area residents – doubly by the owners of a spinach plantation across the Townline who had built their million-dollar home north of the plantation prior to the announcement of the proposal. Their concerns had been not only for themselves but also for the employees of the plantation.

Ms. Thompson’s motions are for all wind development to cease “until the federal health study is complete and the results are published, an economic viability study, an environmental impact study, and social health study has been completed.

“So much has happened since I tabled my motions last fall,” Ms. Thompson is quoted in a news release as saying.

“We have found out through FOI documents from the Ministry of Environment that this Liberal government has known for years that there are significant health impacts from industrial wind turbines, but turned a blind eye and told the environmental officers who discovered these impacts to stand down.”

The news release says the “documents showed that the Chief Medical Officer of Health was directed to use the term ‘direct’ when referring to the health effects of wind turbines, because there are ‘indirect’ links.”

“The evidence is on the side of a moratorium,” said Thompson. “The Liberal government cannot continue to say that there are no health impacts from wind turbines when we know that is not true, they are simply playing word games. Let’s pause, take a sober-second look at the Green Energy Act, and see how we can do better for the people of rural Ontario—because they deserve it.”

In fact, the government and the two North American wind energy associations have never denied there is an annoyance factor, but they have said that no causal effects of health problems have been scientifically established.

The federal health study is not expected to be completed before at least a couple of years. Meantime, there are several wind contracts outstanding and in various stages of planning and/or preparation.

Locally, two of those are the DWP and the Bellwood projects. It couldn’t immediately be determined how a moratorium would affect those.