More defendants to be named…
October 11, 2017
Samsung Energy is reported to have prepared a Statement of Claim for costs exceeding $1 million, naming two Chatham-Kent residents, related to recent protests over altered well water.
The Council of Canadians has slammed the legal action, saying it is a clear attempt at intimidation of citizens who were just protecting their water.
The Council of Canadians news release is here.
Council of Canadians slams heavy-handed Samsung Energy legal tactics
Media Release
October 11, 2017
Chatham, ON – The Council of Canadians is condemning Samsung Energy for filing a million dollar plus statement of claim against Chatham area residents who blocked construction at one of 34 wind turbines the company is erecting as part of its North Kent One* wind power project.
Many of the people who took part in the 11 day blockade have filed well interference complaints against the developer, citing the vibrations from the company’s pile driving activity as the cause of the sudden influx of black silt in their wells. At least thirteen well interference complaints have been made since the company started pile driving for the turbine foundations last June.
According to the developer’s Statement of Claim, the impact of the construction delay caused by the blockade “amounts to costs ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per day, covering only the current amount of labour and equipment idle.”
The Statement of Claim names Water Wells First spokesperson Kevin Jakubec and Cindy Soney as defendants. It also includes “other individuals who have been involved in the unlawful conduct….who have not yet been identified and have been named as John Doe and Jane Doe.”
The well water on the Jakubec family’s farm became polluted with black silt shortly after pile driving began nearby.
“Our well water was crystal clear for decades before the pile driving started,” said Jakubec. “Now, Samsung is claiming that we damaged them to the tune of millions of dollars. I wonder how they sleep at night because I sure can’t.”
In 2016, Kevin Jakubec challenged the government’s approval of the North Kent One project at the Environmental Review Tribunal where expert witnesses warned specifically that vibrations from pile driving could cause the pollution problems seen in the last few months.
“Million dollar lawsuits are usually meant to intimidate,” said Mark Calzavara, Ontario Organizer for The Council of Canadians. “But people don’t back down when it comes to protecting their water. The evidence clearly shows that the construction is causing the pollution. Samsung must stop this project now.”
* North Kent One Wind is owned and developed by Samsung Energy and Pattern Energy.
Many of the people who took part in the 11 day blockade have filed well interference complaints against the developer, citing the vibrations from the company’s pile driving activity as the cause of the sudden influx of black silt in their wells. At least thirteen well interference complaints have been made since the company started pile driving for the turbine foundations last June.
According to the developer’s Statement of Claim, the impact of the construction delay caused by the blockade “amounts to costs ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per day, covering only the current amount of labour and equipment idle.”
The Statement of Claim names Water Wells First spokesperson Kevin Jakubec and Cindy Soney as defendants. It also includes “other individuals who have been involved in the unlawful conduct….who have not yet been identified and have been named as John Doe and Jane Doe.”
The well water on the Jakubec family’s farm became polluted with black silt shortly after pile driving began nearby.
“Our well water was crystal clear for decades before the pile driving started,” said Jakubec. “Now, Samsung is claiming that we damaged them to the tune of millions of dollars. I wonder how they sleep at night because I sure can’t.”
In 2016, Kevin Jakubec challenged the government’s approval of the North Kent One project at the Environmental Review Tribunal where expert witnesses warned specifically that vibrations from pile driving could cause the pollution problems seen in the last few months.
“Million dollar lawsuits are usually meant to intimidate,” said Mark Calzavara, Ontario Organizer for The Council of Canadians. “But people don’t back down when it comes to protecting their water. The evidence clearly shows that the construction is causing the pollution. Samsung must stop this project now.”
* North Kent One Wind is owned and developed by Samsung Energy and Pattern Energy.
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For more information or to arrange interviews:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, dpenner@canadians.org. Twitter: @CouncilOfCDNs
8 Comments
whooper
Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Development, and president and CEO of Pattern Energy. “Size can be helpful, but our plan is to be the most profitable.”…………………Profits above all else.
Notinduttondunwich
Kevin and Cindy do those folks have a gofundme page… I’d hit that for sure…
Notinduttondunwich
blackburnnews.com/chatham/chatham-news/2017/10/05/water-wells-first-accuses-moe-flip-flopping/
Shame on the MOECC!!! We will make this treatment of the rural people a top ellection issue…
Barbara
Wonder how much Canadian press coverage this “news” will get?
Barbara
Ontario News | Provinces & Territories | Canada News | Ontario News
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Oct. 11 (20:01)
Sommer
All readers need to view this newly released documentary: https://www.corbettreport.com/bigoil/
which puts into historical perspective how we got to this crisis in Ontario. I asked James Corbett to look into our situation here in rural Ontario and in his usual thorough and well researched style, he has put many of the pieces of the puzzle together. You’ll see industrial scale turbines throughout both parts of the documentary and a focus on the current energy agenda by the oil oligarchs in the last half of the second video. He names names with the accuracy of a journalist/detective. James promises to continue this work. This is truly exciting! Help get it out to all who are administrators of this energy agenda and to all government agents who are ushering it in without realizing the end goal.
Tracy (T3 Tracy from turbine town) my handle of this original site many moon ago
“People don’t back down while they’re protecting their water.”……
What you also can’t see hurts you. While you’re protecting your water, the invisible infrasound/low frequency noise is creeping in …like little cat’s feet…penetrating your body, destroying tissue and bone. Out of sight out of mind..like a cancer. Then one day, you are physically sick; you will feel the pain and see blood running from your body. Your veins and arteries are breaking down. The negative impact of the toxic infrasound is realized.on your body. A light bulb will go on…virtual, in your mind, but too late. Think about that.
Will this be the end of the world as the Bible states, fried by infrasound and electromagnetic fields. Think about it..cancer is everywhere. Maybe is God’s way of saying “shame on you”. At the bottom of it..the breaking of the cardinal sins. “Hell’s bells” as my Grandma would have said.