Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Resident asking OPA to intervene on turbines
Credit: By Bob Boughner, Chatham Daily News | Friday, April 5, 2013 | www.chathamdailynews.ca ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
CEDAR SPRINGS – A well-known area resident is demanding the province not to allow activation of the two closest wind turbines to her home until her health concerns are addressed.
Greta Thompson is asking the Ontario Power Authority to delay activation of the turbines until she has received the information she requested on possible effects on her husband, who has an ICD unit (heart implant, dual unit, pacer/defibrillator).
Thompson has asked both South Kent Wind/Samsung/ Pattern and GDF Suez months ago for medical proof the turbines won’t interfere in any way with her husband’s heart condition but has yet to receive a response.
She said neither company has provided her with requested reference manuals for emergency procedures and emergency contact numbers.
“All I’ve received is an automated response advising me e-mail volumes are high and my patience is a appreciated in waiting for a response,” she told The Chatham Daily News.
“Will the information come only after the turbines are activated and the harm has possibly been done or will it come at all?”
Thompson has also sent her request to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and the minister of environment and so far has received no response.
She said she is not talking about opposing wind turbines but rather what needs to be done to make certain nearby residents are as safe as possible and protected from what could go wrong.
“Surely nearby rural residents forced to live with wind turbines deserve to know the dangers they may create,” she said. “We’ve all heard about the recent giant turbine fire near Goderich.”
Thompson said wind turbines may or may not make nearby residents sick, however the stress of the total and absolute non-response to any and all real safety concerns surely will.
“How could this province pass such legislation that denies the most affected residents living in danger zones any opportunity to address and resolve any safety concerns and allows the wind companies and various government departments to ignore them so completely?” she asked.
She said while the MOE is ignoring all of the safety concerns presented, it continues granting approvals for more and more of the same.
“This is a new service,” she said. “You may not know all the dangers nor have all the answers yet. But you must not wait for something to happen first before you do something. You should be proactive and not reactive when it comes to safety.”
Thompson said she wants to know about the liability insurance details for wind turbines as they relate to most affected residents living near them and how it can be accessed if required.
“Who pays for an insurance increase and how is it paid if and when wind turbine fires become a factor used by insurance companies to increase insurance premiums for properties located near turbines?” she asked.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
(via Stripe) |
(via Paypal) |
Share: