Wind Power News: Ontario
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Lack of responses sink study on wind turbine impacts
It wasn’t for lack of trying on the part of the Huron County Health Unit. But the health unit simply didn’t find enough people willing to participate in their study on the health impacts of wind turbines to conduct a valid study. Epidemiologist Erica Clark said they mailed out 5,000 letters to people within five kilometres of a turbine and her hope was to be able to look at environmental variables related to people who claimed to be bothered or . . . Complete story »
Green Energy Act axed
The Green Energy Act is no more, having received Royal Assent. That means local municipalities will have the power to block unwanted wind and solar farms, says a government news release. “The Liberal’s Green Energy Act took powers away from municipalities to stop expensive and unneeded energy projects and led to skyrocketing electricity rates for Ontario families,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. “Under the previous government, energy rates tripled, driving manufacturing jobs out of Ontario and hurting hardworking families.” Fedeli . . . Complete story »
New leader for Water Wells First
The citizen group Water Wells First has a new leader and voice to carry forward their concerns about the impact a wind farm has had on private water wells in the area. Kevin Jakubec issued a media release Tuesday stating he is leaving the group to spend more time with his family and to announce Jessica Brooks will be the new leader. Brooks told The Chatham Daily News that Jakubec is “getting run down” from working on this issue and . . . Complete story »
Wind Concerns Ontario states North Stormont property value losses could be in the millions if wind farm is constructed
NORTH STORMONT – Homeowners in North Stormont stand to make a big sacrifice to “green” energy if the proposed “Nation Rise” wind power project is constructed, says Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of community groups and Ontario families. Using research completed recently by a land economist with the University of Guelph and published in Land Economics, Wind Concerns calculates that overall, the property loss for houses within 5 km of the 33 planned turbines could be $87.8 million. Using other research . . . Complete story »
‘This could have been avoided’: Wind farm work sparked blazes before Parry Sound 33 wildfire
The forest was tinder dry. With no rain in weeks, the parched grass in the undergrowth had turned to straw, prompting fire bans across northeastern Ontario. Yet heavy construction in the bush pressed on last summer at the site of the province’s largest wind energy development. CBC News has learned there were at least three construction-related fires at the Henvey Inlet Wind (HIW) project in the weeks leading up to Parry Sound 33, the massive wildfire that torched thousands of . . . Complete story »
When can the people of Ontario expect the cancellation of the Nation Rise Wind project?
In 2012 Lisa Thompson, MPP introduced a private member’s bill to “move that a moratorium should be placed on further industrial wind energy development until third party health and environmental studies have been completed.” It was fully supported by her PC colleagues. She ended the debate with “Your constituents will be so proud of their provincial representatives today.” In April, 2017, Sam Oosterhoff, MPP introduced Motion 45, “the government should place a moratorium on the installation of industrial wind turbines . . . Complete story »
Residents push for turbines
ROSSMORE – An informal group of Prince Edward County residents in favour of wind energy is starting to make noise about the cancellation of the White Pines Wind Energy project. On Friday, three of the people met at Bay of Quinte Todd Smith’s constituency office in Rossmore with executive assistant David Joyce, while another dozen gathered outside. Smith was in Montreal on provincial business and could not attend the meeting. Don Ross, a local environmentalist, said Joyce echoed comments made by . . . Complete story »
Water Wells First losing patience waiting for investigation
Water Wells First has lost its patience waiting for a promised health hazard investigation to begin into private water well problems experienced by landowners in the North Kent wind project area. During the election campaign, earlier this year, the Progressive Conservatives promised to order a health hazard investigation into the impact the North Kent Wind project is having on water wells, if elected. Kevin Jakubec, spokesperson for the citizen group, said samples of sediments found in the water wells of . . . Complete story »
Lack of participation in wind turbine health study ‘disappointing’
A study into the health effects of wind turbines on Huron County residents is coming to a “disappointing” end. At the public’s urging, the Huron County Health Unit opened a study into the potential health implications of wind turbines last year. People living near wind turbines were encouraged to fill out “diaries” about how the turbines were or were not impacting them. The problem is, only 100 people of potentially several thousand signed up. According to Dr. Erica Clark, who . . . Complete story »
Poor response to Huron County wind turbine health study
The Huron County Health Unit’s study of any relationship between wind turbines and health complaints won’t be as detailed as they had hoped. The County’s Acting Medical Officer of Health says of the five thousand people who live close enough to a turbine in Huron County to be eligible for the study, slightly over 100 registered for the study. Doctor Maarten Bokhout says that means they won’t be able to do the rigorous study that would have provided a reasonable . . . Complete story »
