June 1, 2016
Ontario

Opposition expressed to turbines

By Ross Kentner | Bayshore Broadcasting | May 31, 2016 | www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca

The Environmental Review Tribunal continues in Collingwood with strong opposition to the wind turbine project.

Clearview Township, Collingwood and Simcoe County are pitted against the WPD Fairview Wind Project and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

The hearing has moved into the Collingwood council chambers and had to adjourn early to make way for a Council meeting on Monday.

That cut down on the time to hear and cross examine witnesses which led to procedural wrangling.

Counsel for both the Ministry of the Environment and the appellants argued that questioning was not being restricted to evidence in witness statements.

The Tribunal panel has toured the Collingwood airport and Monday heard from Charles Cormier, an independent aviation consultant who has represented both turbine developers and airports.

In Kincardine, Cormier’s design of approaches was able to mitigate the influence of 41 wind turbines. The height of two more was reduced and the developer paid to accommodate the changes.

In Chatham-Kent, 19 of 101 planned turbines were cancelled to keep the airport viable.

Cormier argued that the planned turbines will require changes in the approaches to the airport that could foreclose on the opportunity for scheduled passenger service to and from Toronto.

The airport in Collingwood is growing five per cent a year.

Cormier said land use surrounding an airport can impact the facility and also the community that depends on it.

He also told the panel the aviation community believes that the single lights on wind turbines are inadequate.

Cormier is expected to testify again on Wednesday to do with the Clearview Aerodrome.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/06/01/opposition-expressed-to-turbines/