Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre: Wind Farms Bad for Health

by John Laforet
posted on August 31st, 2009 at 20:40:10 pm

Below is a write up by Radio Host John Divinski who was kind enough to host me on 98 the Beach last Thursday.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Wind Farms Bad for Health

Regional
by John Divinski

Wind energy in Ontario not only costs taxpayers more, it’s toying with the health of those who live near the turbines.

So says the president of Wind Concerns Ontario John LaForet.

Wind Concerns Ontario is a grassroots group calling on the provincial government to slow down the development of wind farms.

LaForet says the group is not necessarily against wind farms as a producer of alternative energy, but they are against locating the structures near people’s homes.

He says a recent health study shows many of those living near the turbines are suffering from insomnia and stress, among other maladies because of the noise factor 24/7.

LaForet says it’s incredible how wind farm developers can bypass any municipality when setting up a farm, as per the Ontario Green Energy Act.

Group member Bill Palmer of Paisley, says besides the health concerns, there is a huge economic imbalance as well.

Palmer says wind farm generators are getting 145 dollars to 200 dollars a megawatt hour from the province.

The other traditional generators are getting about 32 dollars a megawatt hour produced.

He says the difference comes out of tax dollars.

LaForet urges everyone to write their MPP that this is not an appropriate way to run our energy grid and that the energy policy be re-considered by the government.

Wind Concerns Ontario is made up of a coalition of 34 groups spread out over 21 counties and the city of Toronto who oppose the way wind farms are being allowed to develop in the province through the Green Energy Act.

Below is a similar write up by John Divinski based on an interview with Robert Hornung, the President of CanWEA on August 25th 2009. ‘Wind Energy Group Wants More’.

Blackberry Free Until September 1st

by John Laforet
posted on August 28th, 2009 at 02:50:08 am

I’m off to the French River with some friends, hoping to rest, relax and recharge on a canoe trip over the next few days.

Continuing a tradition of last year, I will spend the final days of August blackberry free and out of contact for a few days.

There are many interesting pots on the stove, and I look forward to returning to all of them when I return early next week.

John

Save The Toronto Bluffs Granted Intervenor Status at Ontario Energy Board Hearing into TO Hydro's Streetlight Asset Sale

by John Laforet
posted on August 27th, 2009 at 00:27:38 am

I have been granted Intervenor status on behalf of Save the Toronto Bluffs at the Ontario Energy Board hearing into Toronto Hydro Energy Services (a 100% owned subsidary of Toronto Hydro Corporation) proposed sale of it’s streetlight assets to a numbered shell company owned 100% by Toronto Hydro Electric System (which is 100% owned by Toronto Hydro Corporation) for $60 Million dollars. Basically Toronto Hydro Corporation is looking to sell itself something it already owns, and with that ‘sale’ $60 million dollars will move from Toronto Hydro Electric System, the regulated entity that distributes power in the City of Toronto to it’s unregulated, financial loser arm, Toronto Hydro Energy Services.

Toronto Hydro Electric System employees and trucks already service these lines, but Toronto Hydro Corporation claims safety enhancements can be made by selling something they already own to themselves and continuing to use assets they already own and employees they already employ to continue to service these poles, they too already own.

You may remember these poles from those horrible incidences over the winter where family pets and small children were being electrocuted, and Toronto Hydro Energy Services failed to respond for months, until publicly humiliated into doing so.

Originally the poles were owned by the City of Toronto, for decades in fact, until David Soknacki as David Miller’s first budget chief ran out of money needed to balance the budget and decided to sell the front lawn of the Ontario Science Centre to the Provincial Government and sell the City’s streetlights to Toronto Hydro Energy Services for the remaining $60 million he needed. The best part was then too, even though it was already Toronto Hydro trucks servicing this infrastructure enhanced safety was cited as a benefit. That was before the tragic death of family pets, and the electrocution of small children brought on by poor maintenance, a lack of understanding of the infrastructure and a denial of the problem.

Moving these poles into Toronto Hydro Electric Services and licensing them as part of the distribution system for Toronto (which they are not) would move the liability directly onto the shoulders of rate payers, in addition to allowing the City to cease paying for the upkeep of these poles or their energy usage and instead passing those costs directly onto residential, commercial and industrial customers of Toronto Hydro.

I am looking forward to using the opportunity to be an Intervenor at these hearings to seek evidence from Toronto Hydro Energy Services, Toronto Hydro Electric System, the shell company and Toronto Hydro Corporation to determine the merit behind the enhanced safety claims, the merit of an internal wealth transfer, and the impacts this could have on customer’s bills.

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs will be seeking to represent the interests of all Torontonian ratepayers at the Ontario Energy Board hearing and will be fighting to keep unnecessary increases to your bills from happening in addition to forcing transparency on a corporation in desperate need of an airing out.