February 5, 2014
Ontario

No appeal against NextEra

by Matt Villeneuve | Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation | February 05, 2014 | www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca

West Grey will not appeal the Ministry of Environment’s decision to issue an approval to NextEra to build the East Durham Wind Energy Centre.

According to Mayor Kevin Eccles, there’s only two avenues of appeal available to a municipality – and that’s health and environmental concerns.

With a timeline of just 15 days, Eccles tells Bayshore Broadcasting News the lawyer for West Grey has advised against a potentially costly appeal.

Many communities around the province have presented submissions to the MOE based on the health implications of wind turbines, but each has failed.

However, Eccles doesn’t believe all the options have been exhausted.

West Grey has a bylaw in place, limiting the weight of freight allowed on the municipality’s roadways.

Eccles tells us “what is being proposed by NextEra is about three times the amount that’s allowed on the roads”

And the Mayor remains adamant the project will be completed on West Grey’s terms, saying the company is welcome to “go back to Juno Beach, Florida.”

Meanwhile, Project Manager for the East Durham Wind Energy Centre, Adam Rickel, says a number of land owners and community leaders are interested in the project.

About fifty people attended a job fair held by NextEra on Monday.

The East Durham Wind Energy Centre would be constructed between the town of Durham and the community of Priceville.

The 23 megawatt wind farm will consist of 14, eighty foot tall wind turbines.

West Grey has declared itself an “unwilling host” for wind turbines.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/02/05/no-appeal-against-nextera/