North Stormont residents fuming over inadequate Nation Rise notifications 

Little confirmed the online notification for the soil stabilization at turbine 28 was made on the morning of July 29, the day that Pethke noticed the construction from across his property.

Little said such last-minute changes to the schedule are common.

“There are activities that we have changed the morning of,” he said.

The Standard-Freeholder has previously reported about the soil stabilization technique performed by Clarke Construction, a subcontractor of Borea, the company building the turbines. Soil stabilization involves mixing dry cement with soil to create a stable foundation for access roads. The technique can form cement-dust clouds, which can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system if exposed.

Construction workers performing the soil stabilization must wear masks and tyvex suits to avoid exposure.

Currently, EDP provides an additional notice to homes within 200 metres of the soil stabilization site. Little said residents within that boundary were notified about the soil stabilization on July 28, a day before construction began. For Pethke, the boundary isn’t specific enough, as it applies to residential structures and not the entire property.

“My main frustration is the lack of notification,” said Pethke. “To me, (the 200-metre boundary) is irrelevant.”

While Pethke’s home is around 570 metres away from the turbine site, his property line is only three metres away. Had he not known about the toxicity of the dust, he could have been exposed if he was working on the far side of his corn field.

“It could even have been a case of ‘curiosity killed the cat,’ if I had taken the simple act of walking over to see what was going on while they were spreading. It’s a good thing I know better, but others may not.,” Pethke said in his complaint to the MECP.

He said is worried about farmers and others whose homes are further away than the 200-metre boundary, but whose properties fall within the nearby area.

“Property owners can be conducting regular farming practices on the edges of the property,” while they perform the soil stabilization, said Pethke.”People who are adjacent should be notified.”

Additionally, he is concerned about the affected people not being aware of the hazards of being exposed to the cement dust.

The stabilization technique being used by Borea is not just used during the construction of wind farms; it is one of a few commonly used methods to stabilize soils so they can adequately support whatever’s being built atop them. The same protection and notification procedures would apply to any contractor using this same method to stabilize soil for any construction project.

EDP has been subjected to criticism on how its has been notifying adjacent property owners, mostly from those who have been opposed to the project since it was first announced and remain opposed.

“It blows my mind that they’re so disrespectful to property owners,” said Pethke, explaining he noticed EDP’s notification website was down during one of its recent public consultations. “They’re not very good at communication.”