Posts Tagged ‘Green Energy Act’
Your Ottawa Region: Wind turbine info session draws concerned residents
Your Ottawa Region: Wind turbine info session draws concerned residents
Wind Turbine discussion. Theresa Clemen of North Gower and Laforet of Scarborough distribute “No Turbines” buttons during the Jan. 23 turbine information meeting at the Alfred Taylor Centre in North Gower which was filled to capacity. Laforet spoke about the effects the Green Energy Act is having on Ontarians. He is the president of the Wind Concerns Ontario. LJ Matheson
By LJ Matheson
Three Ottawa-area communities concerned about proposals for industrial scale wind turbine developments held a public meeting on Sunday Jan. 23 at the Alfred Taylor Centre in North Gower.
About 150 people were in attendance at the centre where they heard personal stories from three people whose lives have been changed by turbine projects in their areas.
The North Gower Wind Action Group, the South Branch Wind Opposition Group, and the Beckwith Responsible Wind Action Group hosted the event.
“It’s a way for us to get information out to people so they can make informed decisions about wind turbines,” said Jane Wilson of the North Gower Wind Action Group.
Posters dotted the walls of the community centre, outlining some of the issues residents are concerned about – like health risks of living close to a wind turbine, and how property values will be affected.
Posters to stop the wind turbine projects and buttons declaring “No to Turbines” were also prevalent.
One of the guest speakers was Ian Hanna of Prince Edward County who has launched a lawsuit against the Ontario government and the Green Energy Act.
He says he has travelled extensively throughout Ontario and doesn’t feel any of those communities should be home to a cluster of wind turbines.
“There isn’t a community in Ontario that I want to see destroyed by an enormous industrial disaster,” he said.
Hannah says that the government failed to comply with the Precautionary Principle, as it is required to do, when it established the Green Energy Act regulations.
The Precautionary Principle requires that, in situations where there is scientific uncertainty about environmental or human health effects of a proposed action, the proponent should not proceed until the uncertainty is satisfactorily resolved.
“If there is a health risk to people, animals or the environment, then there is cause for further study,” he said.
“We need to try and stop things (the progress of wind turbine projects) until we can find out what those health risks are.”
Hannah said he will continue with his efforts, regardless of the court’s decision.
Wolfe Island resident Janet White was one of a few people who were against the wind turbines in her area.
The passionate advocate and stay-at-home mother and wife said she and her family were hounded for 10 years to lease part of their heritage property to Canadian Hydro.
“They didn’t understand when we said ‘no’ we meant ‘no’,” she said. “What they offer (in terms of rental fees) and what we receive… there is no comparison. They spent billions on our island and there is not one millionaire.”
White urged those in attendance to not sell out and to learn the health risks above all else.
She spoke about a time when her children were outside when the turbines were running.
“Within 15 minutes, both their noses exploded with blood,” she said.
“It makes you wonder, but can I prove it… I’m just a housewife and no Kingston lawyer will take on the case. They don’t want anything to do with it… I have to go to Toronto to find a lawyer.”
The third speaker was John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of more than 50 community groups.
Laforet spoke about the effects of the removal of local democratic powers under the Green Energy Act, and what Ontario’s energy plan is doing to electricity bills.
“We are having an impact,” he said. “Projects are being slowed down. But we have to wake up the government… they need to get real and listen.”
“The province and industry say these industrial machines don’t make noise, but they do,” noted Wilson.
“They say property values won’t decline, but we know from other places in Ontario that they can. Worst of all, we’re told there will not be health effects from the constant noise and vibration, yet we’re learning that people all over Ontario are getting sick and some are having to leave their homes. We want the truth. ”
Gary Thomas of North Gower says he’s feels more information is needed before decisions should be made. His home will be close to about three proposed turbines.
“There should be proper health studies done,” he said. “Delay the projects for a year and implement the precautionary measure… if it’s delayed a year, then the health studies can be done.”
Another North Gower resident Stephen Nourse says he’s been at public meetings since the proposed projects started two years ago.
He says these turbines “have a habit of mushrooming” and he wants to know why they can’t be located farther away from homes.
“Why do they have to be practically on top of homes?” he asked. Each of the three communities is facing an industrial wind turbine project with as many as 10, 190-meter or 60-storey tall turbine towers.
Wilson added that more than 70 municipalities in Ontario are demanding that the province halt wind turbine development, and return planning powers to communities for renewable energy projects so they can protect their citizens.
1 Comment »Winds of Protest Blow Through Rural Ontario
Democracy is on the march throughout Ontario and Wind Concerns Ontario members are leading the charge! Join Wind Concerns member organized protests in Blenheim (November 22nd) or Orangeville (November 27th)
I continue to be proud of and amazed by the strength and dedication residents around Ontario are showing in standing up in defiance to the anti democratic nature of the Green Energy Act. Thousands of Ontarians from around our province have come out, stood up and said no at debates, rallies and information meetings in their community. We’re getting ready and gearing up for the next provincial election, a promise we made in April 2010 on the steps of Queen’s Park when I declared on behalf of Wind Concerns Ontario that the Liberals would have ‘a hell of a problem at the ballot box’ in 2011.
Dalton McGuinty – Here we come, we’re bigger, we’re stronger, we’re louder and we’re ready to fire your caucus and restore our rights at Queen’s Park. A stingy ten percent vote buying rebate intended to confuse Ontarians into thinking there is some benefit to building industrial wind turbines won’t stop us. Restoring local planning control, creating setbacks from turbines based on science, ending the multi billion dollar corporate welfare payouts to the wind industry and providing a plan to address the issues existing turbines are causing nearby residents is what we expect from our next government, no matter who is in power.
Wind industry players might kickback tens of thousands of dollars in donations each to the Ontario Liberal Party while receiving contracts from the Province, but we all know unethical donations don’t vote. The people do and we can’t be bought with their money or our own. What’s clear from the “Ontario Clean Energy Benefit” is that even a $5.5 billion dollar attempt to buy votes can’t cap this fury.
This is a fight for the future of rural Ontario and it’s not a fight we’re going to give up. We’re working hard to reclaim our voice and ensure our next batch of representatives stand with us, stand for us and protect us from the insanity of this current government’s half baked Green Energy Act.
I’m proud to be spending much of December and part of January on the road, travelling from community to community across Ontario to spread the word that this government, and MPPs who don’t stand with us, need to be defeated if we are to re-claim our democracy from the vested moneyed interests of the foreign owned wind industry players that are wreaking havoc on our province and our communities. If you’d like to help organize a rally in your town please do contact me and we’ll set it up.
Wind Concerns Ontario has fifty three groups in over thirty counties across this province. I’m looking forward to visiting every region of Ontario over the coming weeks and continuing to work with our supporters on the ground to use democratic tools to dramatically alter the landscape of this debate, and shut out the MPPs who voted to shut us out of the debate.
If you’d like to get involved in standing up for rural Ontario. Please send me a note.
Below is a video I was happy to come across on the WCO website from the Wind Concerns Ontario Queen’s Park rally in April 2010. The second one is beautiful black and white photos from our march down University Avenue to the Ontario Power Authority that same afternoon.
No Comments »Windsor Star: Critics waiting for details of massive wind turbine project in Windsor and Essex County
Critics waiting for details of massive wind turbine project in Windsor and Essex County
WINDSOR, Ont. — The $7-billion energy deal with Korean manufacturing giant Samsung announced by the Ontario government was supposed to send about $750 million of wind turbine construction to Essex County, and maybe a manufacturing plant or two in Windsor or the county.
But 10 months after the deal was announced with great fanfare, energy experts and critics are still looking for some clear plan from the province that implements the Samsung vision of departed energy minister — and now failed Toronto mayoral candidate — George Smitherman.
Windsor and Essex County were supposed to be in the first phase of the Samsung deal with 260 megawatts of wind energy here, and 240 megawatts of wind and solar in Haldimand County, according to a September update to the province’s Wind Power Standing Committee in Toronto.
Those projects are supposed to be in operation by 2013. A 260-megawatt wind farm would require about 110 turbines with a total price tag of around $750 million, dwarfing anything already built here.
Industry experts wonder whether enough farmland still not leased for other projects could be found to host it. Some wonder if the province is going to reverse itself on recent promises to residents along shorelines and allow wind turbine developments on the Great Lakes. They see that as the only way to accommodate the deal that gave Samsung priority to generate some 2,500 megawatts of renewable power in Ontario. As part of the 25-year deal, the province was paying $467 million to Samsung to build four energy-related manufacturing plants in Ontario.
The only one with any details so far is the Siemens Canada proposal for a 300-job plant to build wind turbine blades for Samsung and other companies.
Windsor and Essex County are on the short list of the Siemens’ site search across southern Ontario, which could be concluded soon. Answers to questions about the province’s future direction in energy — and the Samsung deal in particular — are coming in a matter of weeks, says Andrew Block, a spokesman for current Ontario Energy Minister Brad Duguid.
An update to the province’s long-term energy plan has been promised by the end of the year at the latest, Block said. Because of the size of the Samsung deal, “it would have to be factored in” to that update, Block added. Brookfield Renewable Energy senior manager Ian Kerr is looking forward to the updated energy plan, and is hoping for some answers about how the Samsung deal will play out. Brookfield has the biggest wind development now in Essex County — two projects with a total of 94 turbines and a construction value of about $650 million. One project is completed and the other is under way.
Kerr has no idea how Samsung could fit a 260-megawatt wind turbine project into Essex County, given the development that’s already occurred.
The other obstacle is the length of time it takes to acquire land leases, and carry out environmental assessments. Kerr said Brookfield’s projects in Essex County have been eight years in the planning. It appears Samsung has been attempting to buy up development rights to some smaller projects in the province to speed things up, Kerr said. Kerr said Samsung could end up being a development competitor elsewhere in Ontario, but could also be a positive influence for overall growth in the renewable energy industry.
John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, fears the province will allow wind energy development on the Great Lakes to give Samsung its opportunity to develop 2,500 megawatts of power.
Ontario Hydro has proposed an offshore wind farm in Lake Ontario. Leamington’s SouthPoint Wind has generated controversy with local residents and area municipalities with its proposal for 715 turbines in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair. received no mention in the list of 184 approvals announced by the OPA.
In Haldimand County, the Ontario Realty Corporation owns enough land to give Samsung a start on a project there, Laforet said. The land is currently leased out for farming and that’s created a backlash that food growing ought to take precedent over turbines, he said. Laforet can’t make any sense of the Samsung deal. The company received approval to develop a massive amount of energy at premium prices over other developers waiting in line in a lengthy approval process, he said. “Samsung has the sweetest of sweetheart deals,” he said. “It doesn’t make any business sense.”
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