Ontario Environment ministry under fire over Chatham-Kent water wells

Ontario Groundwater Association warned about the effects of wind farm development over sensitive hydrogeology — but was ignored

 

Experts are lined up against the MOECC in their views on what’s happening in Chatham-Kent [Photo: Council of Canadians]
 
In the current edition of Ontario Farmer is a report on the status of Chatham-Kent wells which residents say have been contaminated by sediment; they link the failure of the wells to wind turbine construction.
Here are excerpts from the article in Farmers Forum  by Jeffrey Carter.
With opposition parties and others calling for an official health hazard investigation, the Ontario government finds itself under increasing scrutiny over groundwater complaints in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
According to [community group] Water Wells First, upwards of 20 wells in the former townships of Dover and Camden have been impacted. The group blames wind farm development in the area for the problem and feel they have the evidence to prove it — before and after measurements of turbidity specific to the North Kent Wind project led by Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Development.
It’s the type of approach supported by University of Waterloo geological engineer Maurice Dusseault who questions the parameters used by Golder and Associates, a consulting firm hired by Samsung and Pattern, to conclude turbine construction an operation could not possibly have impacted groundwater in the area.
Low-frequency vibration created by piledriving during wind turbine construction and operation may have led to turbidity issues, Dusseault said, something it appears Golder and Associates did not measure.
Under scrutiny as well is the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), which approved the wind farm developments. The MOECC has repeatedly cited the opinion of Dr. David Colby*, the Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health over concerns wells may have been compromised.
{Colby] has not seen any of the results from water tests conducted by Water Wells First that show exponentially higher levels of turbidity following the construction and operation of North Kent Wind turbines.
“I don’t want to come across as unsympathetic but really there’s no connection to wind turbines,” Colby said.
The executive director of the Ontario Groundwater Association Craig Stainton gives little weight to Dr. Colby’s opinions on the matter and said the MOECC response to the well water complaints has been sorely lacking. Had the MOECC heeded warnings that wind farm development posed a threat to the groundwater of the area, the current controversy would likely have been avoided, he said.

Third-world conditions

“If the MOECC were doing what they should be doing, what they’re supposed to be doing, they would have known what these developments would do. When you get into the science, and there’s reams of it, this has been going on in Europe for years and they are years ahead of us.”
“It’s despicable. They have created third-world conditions for those homeowners.”
The aquifer in the north part of Chatham-Kent is well known to well drillers operating in the area. It is both shallow, roughly 50 to 70 feet below the soil surface, and fragile, and is located just about the Kettle Point Black Shale formation common to the area.
Stainton is concerned that even if the operation of the turbines is ended, the aquifer may have been permanently damaged.
 
TEST RESULTS
Tests paid for by Water Wells First and conducted by an independent lab showed elevated levels of particulates and heavy metals including:

  • lead
  • arsenic
  • mercury
  • uranium

 
*WCO note: Dr Colby has acted as a paid advocate for the wind power industry, and has published a paper for both the Canadian and US wind power lobby groups
 

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5 Comments

  • Earl
    Posted May 29, 2018 12:14 pm 0Likes

    Let’s face it, Golder & Associates are simply whores who will tailor their findings to whatever results their masters want to hear.. In this case, the masters are the provincial government, Samsung, and Pattern Development who are paying for their services. Anyone with half a brain can see the “cause and effect” that pile driving in the area is responsible for high turbidity in local water wells, and for Golder & Associates to claim otherwise, is a flat out sham.

    • Sommer
      Posted May 29, 2018 12:47 pm 0Likes

      This situation needs to be fully exposed NOW.

  • Herman
    Posted May 30, 2018 12:14 pm 0Likes

    The blame for the problem lies entirely at the feet of the landowners who gave permission (and received a ton of money) for allowing these obscene things to be built on their land. Why does everyone blame the government? Without landowner participation we wouldn’t have these ugly things in Ontario.

  • Stan Thayer
    Posted June 8, 2018 8:36 am 0Likes

    Another sad point for the landowners is that their properties will probably become public domain when they need taxpayer bailouts to continue the maintenance which will become more costly with age until decommissioning.
    The landowners were warned to grab the money now and you will have to run.
    Everyone involved with these IWT’S knew the financial ramifications.
    The electrical aspect of the IWT’s seemed to be secondary to the profit projections.
    Again, the bankers and politicians purposely overlooked the deficit information provided.
    There is no good way out of this, “Green Energy Act”, so all be prepared for another costly dose of reality.
    Stan

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