Victory for environment, community at Ostrander Point

Ontario Coat of Arms
The people of Prince Edward County have been battling a wind power project planned for–and supported by the Ontario government–for more than six years. An Important Bird Area and staging area for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, and home to endangered species, Ostrander Point was a fragile environment— not suitable, most thought, for a huge, utility-scale, wind power project.
The Environmental Review Tribunal released its decision today, prepared by co-chairs Robert Wright and Heather Gibbs.
Here is a news release from the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists and their lawyer, Eric Gillespie.

TORONTO, June 6, 2016 /CNW/ – The endangered Blanding’s turtle has come out ahead in its race to protect the species and its habitat in Prince Edward County.

The Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal ruled today that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change permit related to proposed industrial wind turbines on the Ostrander Point crown lands should be revoked.

“This is a great outcome for everyone involved and for the environment” said Myrna Wood of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, the appellant. “It’s taken some time, but with this result the effort has clearly been worthwhile” said Eric Gillespie, legal counsel.

SOURCE Eric K. Gillespie Professional Corporation

A key point in the decision was the concepts that there must be balance between preserving the natural environment and wildlife and the goals for “renewable” power generation.
The Ontario government has approved wind power projects in other areas where environmental protection is a concern.
Will the government of Ontario do the right thing and now cancel contracts for utility-scale wind power in these locations?
ToughonNature

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11 Comments

  • notinduttondunwich
    Posted June 6, 2016 2:26 pm 0Likes

    Huge victory for the folks of Ostrander point…. congrats!!! Remember though that this decision says they SHOULD be revoked not ARE being revoked!!!! I am very leary of this Liberal government….. I’ll believe it when I see the people dance and cheering in the streets!!!! One down…. 72 more municipalities to go!!!!

  • Pat Cusack
    Posted June 6, 2016 2:44 pm 0Likes

    A new General Electric plant has been announced for Welland. This plant replaces one in the USA. Given it will likely be a major consumer of electricity and Ontario has the highest electricity cost in North America, one wonders what has been promosed in electricity costs by our Ont Govt and the city of Welland. You can be sure consumers will pay for this. Bernie

  • Pat Cusack
    Posted June 6, 2016 3:46 pm 0Likes

    Congrats to all who were involved in the Ostrander Point decision. Let’s hope it is ARE and not SHOULD!

  • Pat Cusack
    Posted June 6, 2016 3:47 pm 0Likes

    p.s. I am very leary of Liberals too! Nuff said!

  • Andre Lauzon
    Posted June 6, 2016 5:44 pm 0Likes

    IF the Liberals do not respect this decision, I think we should organise a massive walk on Queens Park.
    Congratulations to the dedicated fighters of Prince Edward County. I’m sure you lived through difficult and frustrating times……..and it may not be over.

    • notinduttondunwich
      Posted June 6, 2016 9:08 pm 0Likes

      Queens park seems pointless really to hold a March on. After you watch the way the liberals “ummm….. Ahhh… Mr. Speaker…. we uhhh …. ummmmm….ahhhh……????” I am having less and less respect for that process…. after everyone like the our MPP …. IESO… the Auditor General… their own liberal party…. and the people of the Province of Ontario. ……. keep saying STOP!!!! NO MORE!!!! PLEASE!!!! You find it appropriate to procure 600 MW more…. ???? so disrespect to the people who basically contribute to your existence ????
      A walk on queens park would be nice…. wonder if it’s windy there… what a great way to display you GREEN ENERGY ACT to the world with a beautiful IWT display…..
      Whooper for premier!!!! Yes you’re absolutely right!!!! Ya for the turtles and birds!!!! Maybe we can now save the magnificent Bald Eagles that have finally established in our area!!!! 7 yrs ago you would have gone to jail for destroying a Bald Eagle nest… now ministry natural resources allow you under the green energy act to destroy a nest babies and all….if it interferes with procurement………
      Premier Wynnd is hard on everyone……. period….

  • whooper
    Posted June 6, 2016 6:07 pm 0Likes

    Congratulations for the turtles and birds! Lets hope humans are considered next! Huge, utility-scale, wind power project are not suitable for human habit either! As a human, and part of a rural community, it is discouraging to be considered acceptable collateral damage for this political and economic scheme!

  • Richard Mann
    Posted June 6, 2016 8:44 pm 0Likes

    Wind and Solar are not reducing C02. Ontario’s own Engineering Society is telling us this. See the report, “Ontario’s Electricity Dilemma – Achieving Low Emissions at Reasonable Electricity Rates.” Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), April 2015. https://www.wind-watch.org/docviewer.php?doc=OSPE-PEO-2015_Ontario-Electricity-Dilemma.pdf
    Page 15 of 23. “Why Will Emissions Double as We Add Wind and Solar Plants ?”
    – Wind and Solar require flexible backup generation.
    – Nuclear is too inflexible to backup renewables without expensive engineering changes to the reactors.
    – Flexible electric storage is too expensive at the moment.
    – Consequently natural gas provides the backup for wind and solar in North America.
    – When you add wind and solar you are actually forced to reduce nuclear genera,on to make room for more natural gas generation to provide flexible backup.
    – Ontario currently produces electricity at less than 40 grams of CO2 emissions/kWh.
    – Wind and solar with natural gas backup produces electricity at about 200 grams of CO 2 emissions/kWh. Therefore adding wind and solar to Ontario’s grid drives CO2 emissions higher. From 2016 to 2032 as Ontario phases out nuclear capacity to make room for wind and solar, CO2 emissions will double (2013 LTEP data).
    – In Ontario, with limited economic hydro and expensive storage, it is mathematically impossible to achieve low CO2 emissions at reasonable electricity prices without nuclear generation.

  • notinduttondunwich
    Posted June 7, 2016 1:37 pm 0Likes

    Well done Richard…. how do we stop this insanity….. why are we going forth with 600 MW more of power to give away!!!! This again is a shameful act of ignoring facts and just doing whatever the hell they want… you watch while the liberals are on their summer break they will bulldoze and clear cut Ostrander Point…. and in the fall…..
    Ummmmm …. Mr speaker….. uhhh…. we…. uhhh…. are not sure…. uhhhh… well uhhhh. … not sure how this uhhhh…. happened Mr speaker….. uhhhh. … the green energy act ummmmm. . Blah blah blah……
    Ridiculous. …… really makes my stomach turn…..

  • Richard Mann
    Posted June 7, 2016 3:24 pm 0Likes

    Here is a “time line” showing the history of Wind Turbine Noise problems, going back as far as 1979. Each entry provides documentation:
    http://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline/latest/embed/index.html?source=0Ak2bgr7C0nhPdGR3S1lEekU3T3p4ZDhUNDdRV2Y2ZkE&font=Bevan-PotanoSans&maptype=toner&lang=en&height=650
    1979 “First complaints received from a dozen families within a 3km radius of turbine”.
    1981 “Wind turbine operation creates enormous sound pressure waves”
    1982 “Closed windows and doors do not protect occupants from LFN”
    1982 “NASA research on human impacts provided to wind industry”
    1985 “Hypothesis for infrasound-induced motion sickness”
    1987 “Wind industry told that dB(A) unsuitable to measure LFN emissions from wind turbines”

    2004 “Wind industry knows noise models inadequate” (from Vestas)

    2011 “Vestas knew that low frequency noise from larger turbines needed greater setbacks”

  • Nicolemaymn
    Posted February 25, 2017 6:44 pm 0Likes

    Aw, this was a really nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to create a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never manage to get anything done.
    http://www.educationguide.eu

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