Citizens engaged in an appeal of the approval of a huge wind power project that will threaten wildlife and change a heritage landscape
February 17, 2016
The Association to Protect Amherst Island has formally launched a fund-raising campaign to assist with its legal actions against the huge Windlectric wind power project. An appeal is underway, with more hearings scheduled before the Environmental Review Tribunal in coming weeks, and a Judicial Review has been filed, based on details of the approval of the power project despite clear inaccuracies and inadequacies in the application.
More details:
The MOECC approved Windlectric’s Renewable Energy Application on August 24, 2015. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Bill Mauro, approved an Overall Benefit Permit on the same day to allow Windlectric destroy the habitat of grassland birds on the Island.
Turbines are planned beside the world famous Owl Woods. Located on the Atlantic Migratory Flyway, the Island is a refuge for 11 species of Owls, wintering raptors, and grassland birds. 34 Species at Risk will be impacted.
The Ontario government claims to be a leader in environmental action but approval of a huge wind power project on Amherst Island will harm, not help the environment, say community leaders. “Approval of this turbine project indicates the hypocrisy of the government’s wind power program,” says Michele Le Lay, spokesperson for Association to Protect Amherst Island. “Constructing and operating wind turbines here will do great harm to the natural environment.”
After just one day, the group had raised over $2,600 toward its goal of $200,000.
Go to the fund-raising website here.
8 Comments
Sommer
I wish the people who write about the harm to animals would always include concerns for human beings. It is so upsetting to see how many innocent human beings are being and have been seriously impacted throughout this province! The article below, with the letter written by the MD is very, very important. I wish more MD’s in Ontario would come forth and expose themselves to infrasound and noise from these turbines.
Is this government attempting to evacuate and extort the residents of our communities?
I wish you well with your effort to save Amherst Island from this ridiculous incursion.
Wind Concerns Ontario
It is not exclusive to communicate about one aspect of this: there are different “audiences.” Added up, people will understand thatthere are many concerns about industrial-scale wind power developments.
Tom
I note that Bill Mauro who is Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
signed the approved Overall Benefit Permit.
I believe I read last week that the same Bill Mauro was instrumental in stopping the wind project in Thunder Bay – he is the MPP for Thunder Bay.
I guess he wanted to keep his job -such hypocricy
Parker Gallant
The same Bill Mauro that will be all excited when the “cap & trade” tax comes into existence next week (Ontario budget release) and impact output from the converted OPG coal plant now a biomass operation which generates power costing $1600.00 per megawatt hour ($1.60 per kilowatt hour) using imported pellets. No doubt OPG Thunder Bay will be handed big carbon credits that they will be able to sell to forest product companies, food processors, etc. etc. meaning the cost of what they produce will rise as will everything we do to survive in this poorly run province
Barbara
Maybe all “audiencies” can understand that renewable energy projects are being imposed on rural Ontarians so that electricity can be supplied to the U.S.
There is information available to verify this but the needed transmission lines have not been installed yet.
Barbara
The Wilson Center, Washington, D.C., est.1968
The Wilson Center, Chartered by Congress, the U.S. key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues. Informs Congress, the Administration and the broader policy community.
Woodrow Wilson Center Institute, Canada founded 2001
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/program/canada-institute
Some might be interested in browsing the Wilson Center Canada website.
Theresa
I am always disappointed and hurt when I read about communities concerned about the wildlife with no mention of concern for the people.
Another interesting question you raised Sommer was about the people of rural Ontario being forced off their land. This has crossed my mind as well.
Dr. Hallstein’s letter supports the research of Dr. Nina Pierpont and a few others. Glad to see there are some doctors with a head on their shoulders and the guts to take a stand.
Wind Concerns Ontario
These concerns are not exclusive. The Amherst Island community is fighting on both counts.