National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Opponent to wind energy project appeals approval

STELLA – The group fighting the proposed construction of a wind energy project on Amherst Island is appealing the provincial government’s approval of the project.

The Association to Protect Amherst Island (APAI) hired Toronto law firm Falconers LPP to represent it at the Environmental Review Tribunal.

In a news release Wednesday, APAI cited the island’s place on the National Trust for Canada’s list of endangered places. APAI also noted the island is on the Atlantic Migratory Flyway and is home for 13 species at risk and 14 species of concern.

Nature Canada, Ontario Nature, the Kingston Field Naturalists and the American Bird Conservancy have all come out in opposition to the project.

On Aug. 24, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change announced conditional approval of Windlectric Inc.’s Amherst Island Wind Energy Project.

Since July 2014, the project has been modified four times, including a change earlier in May that lowered the maximum number of wind turbines from 33 to 26 but replaced the remaining turbines with higher power models.

The ministry placed 27 conditions on the 74.3-megawatt project, including a three-year time frame to get the project built, requirements to monitor noise emissions and ensure they do not exceed acceptable limits, implementation of a post-construction natural heritage monitoring program that includes bird and bat monitoring, and the completion any remaining archeological field work.