August 21, 2017
Ontario

CK councillor wants answers and solutions for water well problems

By Sarah Cowan | Blackburn News | August 20, 2017 | blackburnnews.com

A Chatham-Kent councillor is looking for hard answers and solutions as dirty water wells continue to pop up in the municpality.

Councillor Jeff Wesley has drafted a new motion, which he plans to present at Monday night’s council meeting, that calls for the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and wind turbine companies to hire a well expert to figure out what is causing water wells in North Kent to become contaminated. He says this well expert should be readily available and find answers immediately.

“We need to find out what is happening with those wells that have been impacted. Is it related to the wind turbine construction or is it not? There is strong evidence right now that it is relating to the wind turbine construction, so we need to get quick, fast, accurate responses to everybody that has an impacted well,” explains Wesley.

Wesley says he is disappointed by how the crisis has been handled so far.

“The responsiveness and interest and concern shown by the Ministry of Environment and wind turbine company has been poor. I say that because that’s just the way it is. They need to do better [and] they need to be more responsive,” he says.

He says he will ask the municipality to call on the government to halt construction of the North Kent Wind project, if answers and solutions are not found quickly.

Wesley says the municipality has set up a sit-down meeting with the MOE this Thursday to discuss steps going forward.

The most recent family to come forward with claims of contaminated water is Wayne and Valerie Brooksbank on Countryview Line. They say they began experiencing well problems last Saturday, shortly after turbines were installed nearby.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/08/21/ck-councillor-wants-answers-and-solutions-for-water-well-problems/