Almost a year after the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change approved the project planned by Windlectric/Algonquin Power on Amherst Island, the Environmental Review Tribunal has dismissed an appeal of the power project.
The appeal was based on the impact on the natural environment, heritage features, and human health.
While the Tribunal was complimentary in a number of areas on the evidence presented by the Appellant, the Association to Protect Amherst Island, it did not find that the evidence of harm put forward was irreversible or met the standard of the legislation. For the Blandings turtle, for example, the Tribunal allowed that turtles did inhabit the Island but that their habitat would not be affected by the power project, and that the number fatalities likely would not result in irreversible harm to the species.
APAI has said it will meet this weekend and discuss next steps; the community has already considered for a Judicial Review of the power project approval.
For more information please see the APAI website here, and note the need for funding assistance. http://www.protectamherstisland.ca/sad-day-amherst-island/
24 Comments
notinduttondunwich
What a farce!!! It’s the same for human life!!! Absolutely disgusting…. who cares if the environment is destroyed it’s all for the Grey Energy Act so I guess it’s ok!!!
Barbara
Get your wells tested as soon as possible.
Barbara
CDC, U.S.
Anthrax
Anthrax spores can survive in the soil for decades. Such events as heavy rains and construction related activities can bring the spores to the surface.
Spores can enter the human body by breathing, food, water, cut/scrape in the skin.
http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/types/gastrointestinal.html
Information on Anthrax is available in Ontario as well. Good information with an Ontario internet search.
Livestock are vaccinated every year to control Anthrax.
Barbara
2005 Anthrax Outbreak in Manitoba
Information at:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/animals/animal-health/pubs/jaa02s00c.pdf
Barbara
Bacterial Pathogens of Humans
Soils: Bacillus & Clostridium
Endospore-forming pathogenic soil bacteria.
More information at: http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/medical_5.html
Barbara
Human Illnesses
Botulism is a spore forming soil bacteria.
Spores can be breathed in and also wound infections.
http://www.humanillnesses.com/General-Information-and-Infectious-Diseases-A-Co/Botulism.html
Barbara
American Journal of the Medical Sciences, March 2013
Corn smut
“Ustilago species as a cause of Central-Line Related Blood Stream Infection”
Rarely reported infection.
http://www.amjmedsci.com/article/S0002-9629(15)30723-0/pdf
Corn smut spores overwinter in plant debris and soil. Spores are viable in soil 5-7 years.
Spores carried by wind, rain and irrigation.
My uncle had a serious corn smut infection.
Rural residents are called nimbys by those who don’t know anything about the problems rural people face.
Barbara
Hang on to construction photos. Visual records of how much soil disturbance took place and when and where.
Barbara
There is a difference between necessary soil disturbance and unnecessary soil disturbance. Food production is necessary.
Barbara
CBC news, Aug.16, 2013
‘Pelee Island could soon lift 13-year-boil-water advisory’
Problem has been water storage and water filtration.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/pelee-island-could-soon-lift-13-year-boil-water-advisory-1.1342723
Barbara
In Europe during World War 1, a great deal of soil disturbance took place. Then serious problems with soil pathogens emerged.
Barbara
The National Army Museum, Oct.25, 2012
‘War Surgery, 1914-18’
Scroll down to:
“And the heavy bacterial contamination of the soil, with organisms for tetanus and gas-gangrene, meant that these were particularly serious problems in 1914.”
http://www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/lunchtime-lectures/video-archive/war-surgery-1914-18
Barbara
University of Guelph
‘Minimizing Transport Of Bacterial Pathogens Into Watersheds’
“Southern Ontario has a high risk of pathogens migrating into groundwater because of intensive agriculture, wet climate, highly permeable and shallow soils and high water tables.”
https://www.uoguelph.ca/dunfield/research/minimizing-transport-human-bacterial-pathogens-watersheds
Barbara
The above URL was tracked back to OWR. Not a direct link..
Type in the URL or Title search on the Internet
Barbara
Correction: tracked back to WCO
Try: https://www.uoguelph.ca/crc/dunfield/research/minimizing-transport-human-bacterial-pathogens-watersheds
Pat Cusack
This is unbelievable! So depressing, the callous destruction of our planet.
John Foreman
notinduttondunwich…….As the M.O.E informed us, at the Samsung/MOE Vs. Haldimand Wind Concerns Tribunal, in Cayuga Ontario a couple of years ago… The “irreversible harm” must be to ALL MEMBERS of a species. I guess they’re applying that principle to ALL SPECIES as well….. including HUMAN! I think the correct terminology, to describe the harm to some individuals, in this case is “collateral damage”…. an acceptable level of sacrifice “for the greater good”!
Lynda
Is it not illegal for the MOE to align themselves with Samsung or any other company in a fight against the people of Ontario? Who makes the decision to allow them to do that? Has the gea trumped the charter of rights as well now? Perhaps the charter has been secretely changed at some point to give rights to dishonest politicians and overpaid shills making sure big business understands the costs of doing business with them…..like the disgusting ‘private’ evenings they can have for a price. Ontario is going down the slimy tubes….fast
Sommer
I absolutely pity the people who have real estate investments on Amherst Island!
Let’s help them as much as we possibly can to prevent this from happening.
notinduttondunwich
The fact that the MOE is in with Samsung is pure collusion at best… no its not illegal for the MOE to align with samsng. … but it should be!!!
Is it a conflict of interest….. yes
Is it unfair…. yes
Is it immoral…. yes
Is it undemocratic….. yes
Is it unconstitutional….. yes
Can’t understand why people are so mad!!!???
Lynda
What about the great lakes? Won’t all these pathogens be found in run off that eventually makes its way into the lakes? They are a direct source of drinking water for many Canadians. We have a pact with the US to protect the lake water. Where is environment canada on this? Perhaps that would be an avenue of complaint?
https://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/
There is a great lakes public forum coming up in the middle of October.
Register for the public forum and read about the water quality pact:
https://binational.net/
This site is a collaboration between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada. You can discuss it on twitter as well.
Twitter: #greatlakesforum
Barbara
That would depend on the circumstances on a species basis.
There has been an outbreak of Anthrax in Russia where the permafrost melted and the spores were released. The previous outbreak in that Russian area was in 1941 when there was a permafrost melt.
The flow of the Great Lakes is to the Atlantic so anything that small that floats ends up in the ocean. Can these endospores survive in water or lake bottom sediments and for how long is your question.
But this issue should be brought up to know for sure.
Barbara
Can use an internet search: “human pathogens in lake bottom sediments” or “human pathogens in lake/fresh water, rivers, streams.
Barbara
Water Research Center
Testing for individual pathogens is expensive.
Water testing article at: http://www.water-research.net/index.php/bacteria