Turn off C-K wind turbines to assess turbine-water wells link, says geological engineer

But the wind power operators won’t and the Ontario government won’t force them

November 25, 2018
In a recent article by Jeffrey Carter in Ontario Farmer, Maurice B. Dusseault, professor of Engineering Geology at the University of Waterloo, says that the contamination of water wells in Chatham-Kent following construction and operation of a new wind power project there is likely caused by the power project. “I believe there is a reasonable cause to believe pile-driving (and turbine operation) is leading to the disturbance,” professor Dusseault told Carter.
Gagnon has been working with citizens’ group Water Wells First; the group has invested many hours and thousands of dollars “putting together multi-stage filtration systems” at several properties “to remove sediments and shale gas.”
The water runs clear after being treated although a disagreeable smell and taste remains, Ontario Farmer reports.
The engineering professor plans to compare changes to the sedimentation in the well water over time, he says, relating the data to changes in the direction and velocity of the wind, which drives the turbines. Finding a relationship in that information would be solid evidence that the turbines are the problem.
There is another course of action: shut down the turbines to see if the sedimentation problem goes away. However, that’s not something either the Ontario government or the wind power operator is willing to take.
Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Essex has said the Ontario Chief Medical Officer has been directed to review data from past sample collection and follow up on the water situation for Chatham-Kent families.

Acknowledge the problem

Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr David Colby is steadfast in his belief that the sediment-laden water may be “unappealing” but “there is no health hazard from undissolved particles in water.”
The sedimentation means well water systems cannot function, Ontario Farmer reports. There are three wind power projects with a total of 94 wind turbines, and Water Wells First members say as many as 50 wells have been affected in the former Township of Dover alone.
University of Windsor researcher Joel Gagnon, who is also working on the well water problem, says more people could come forward but they are prevented by confidentiality or non-disclosure clauses in their lease agreements with the wind power operators.
There may be solutions to the problem, he told Ontario Farmer, but right now, the first step is official admission that there is a problem.
 
 

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3 Comments

  • Parker Gallant
    Posted November 25, 2018 10:48 am 0Likes

    Its not just Chatham Kent. It appears Scotland has had problems too at this article notes: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2015/07/18/new-evidence-wind-farms-contaminating-water-supply-in-scotland/
    I like this quote: “She admitted to Breitbart London that there is great irony in the fact that fracking is not going ahead in large part due to unfounded fears over contamination of water sources, while at the same time green zealots seem more than happy to cover Scotland in a sea of turbines despite good evidence that they actually do contaminate those same water sources.”

  • Agneta Sand
    Posted November 25, 2018 3:43 pm 0Likes

    Depending upon what kind of ground the wind turbines are standing on, I do not know how just turning them off will help. It will cut down the noise but if lime stone is cracked by the vibrations – will the water not continue to flow through the ‘new’ cracks ?

  • Richard Mann
    Posted November 25, 2018 9:11 pm 0Likes

    On October 28, 2018 I wrote to Christine Elliot, MPP, Minister of Health and Long Term Care, requesting an urgent meeting to address known health harm from Industrial Wind Turbines.
    I have not heard back.
    The letter and details of my research and advocacy on this issue are on my web page,
    https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/~mannr/Wind_Turbines.html
    Richard Mann
    Associate Professor
    School of Computer Science
    Faculty of Mathematics
    University of Waterloo

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