New Scarborough councillor opposes turbine project
Credit: Cole Carruthers, Kyle Larkin, The Toronto Observer, www.torontoobserver.ca 24 January 2011 ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
Newly elected Coun. Gary Crawford hopes that the proposed wind turbine project in his ward will amount to nothing but hot air – and his opinion is making him popular with local environmental groups.
The Ward 36 representative’s says the turbines high pricetag far outweigh any benefits.
“I am completely against it, they just don’t make sense at an economic level. The cost is too much,” Crawford said Tuesday.
Local protest group Save the Bluffs state on their website that consumers pay an average of 2.5 times more for power generated from wind turbines than normal system prices.
The group also claims wind turbines erected too close to residential areas can affect the health of nearby residents.
But moving the turbines further out can drive the cost even higher, Crawford said.
“It’s more economically feasible to have them closer to shore,” he said. “The cost increases the farther away you place them, it becomes directly high.”
Toronto Hydro wants to erect the wind turbines on the shores of Ward 36. The ongoing debate is whether enough research has been done into the long-term effects of the turbines.
Local environmental groups worry that there could be negative environmental effects on the land in addition to potential health issues for the community.
John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of dozens of anti-wind turbine groups from across the province, welcomes Crawford’s take on the matter.
“It’s important that he is against it, it’s a city project and if they’re not happy with it the city can tell Toronto Hydro there is no project,” Laforet said.
Michelle Mears, office manager for Bluffer’s Park Marina hasn’t heard any of the residents complain about the turbine project.
“The people who are against the proposal are the advocates from Guildwood, the residents from the marina are not too concerned to my knowledge,” she said.
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