Niagara, Ontario Group Appeals Wind Farm Plan

Submitted by the West Lincoln Action Group

 (A Foreword by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – Those who support ‘green energy in Ontario, and I am among them, may object all we want. But thanks to the way the province’s recently departed premier Dalton McGuinty went about shoving green energy up everyone’s nose, what may have been most noble, progressive efforts to establish wind and solar systems as a significant source of energy in Ontario have likely been compromised for years to come.

Former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty didn’t seem to mind shoving wind farms in to rural communities that didn’t seem to want them without giving them a say in the matter. But he also didn’t mind spending hundreds of millions of dollars of our tax money moving plans for gas-powered energy plants out of two of his party ridings in Oakville and Mississauga due to a ‘not-in-my-backyard backlash that had nothing to do with the economic or environmental impacts or needs of those plants.

While other regions of the world, including economic power houses like Germany, move forward with sustainable wind and solar energy projects, Ontario has lost it thanks to an arrogant premier who alienated so many that might support such a push had he not taken away their right as communities to play a role in deciding where and how these systems should be installed.

With that, NAL is posting the following message from the West Lincoln Action Group, a citizens organization with members in the Niagara and Haldimand, Ontario regions, for your information. You may also wish to join the discussion by leaving a comment below. 

Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment has  approved the HAF Wind Energy Project involving five Industrial Wind Turbines being erected in the Caistor Centre area of West Lincoln Township.  On behalf of and with the support of the West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group, we are launching an Appeal for an Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) Hearing to overturn this Approval (REA).

The Appeal Process, articulated in the Green Energy Act, allows us to challenge why the MOE approved an Industrial intrusion in an environmentally sensitive and active Agricultural Area which is also densely populated in contrast to most Agricultural areas of the Province.  We have at least 244 homes of families and retirees within 2 km. of the 5 proposed Industrial Wind Turbines.

Scientific studies show that a significant number of these people, and others beyond two kilometres, will experience annoyance or sickness and many will not be able to remain in their homes.  These results will not only impact our health care system, but will have a financial assessment impact to our Township resulting from property devaluation of 25 per cent to 50 per cent, and some properties may not sell at any price.

The unreasonable subsidies to Wind Proponents everywhere overpower any possible benefits to consumers, especially industries.  We are all paying for the subsidies in our Taxes and Electricity Bills, and will continue to pay for the next 20 years, or more.  Without subsidies these wind power generator projects would not exist.

People are beginning to understand that the whole IWT fiasco will cost MORE than all the other government wasted events put together – the Samsung deal, two halted Gas Plants, ORNGE, Hydro One, and E-Health, etc.  There is no financial justification for what the Green Energy Act has undemocratically dumped on rural Ontario.  We do not need the electricity these IWT’s generate at off-peak hours with the need for a back-up system when the wind dies.  We pay again to have others take this surplus energy.  Ontario’s Auditor General’s 2011 Annual Report, page 112, states that, since 2006 (when IWT’s started generating power) Ontario has been a net exporter of electricity.  From 2005 – 2011, Ontario lost $1.8 billion on exported electricity, (roughly estimated at a cost of $4,000 per household, and growing).

We have engaged the services of this province’s champion of the anti-wind fight, Mr. Eric Gillespie. This week, through his efforts, Ostrander Point won their ERT Appeal against the MOE.   He has proven that these contracts can be cancelled.  We strongly believe there are sufficient reasons for the same outcome here in West Lincoln.

For more information visit the West Lincoln Action Group’s website at www.wlwag.com .

Niagara At Large is also posting the following piece here by members of the West Lincoln-Glanbrook Action Group                                                                                              

WEST LINCOLN WIND PROJECT APPEALED – July 6, 2013 

In Response to the recent Ministry of the Environment (MOE) approval of the controversial HAF Wind Energy Project for five Industrial Wind Turbines in the Caistor Centre area of West Lincoln Township two local residents have launched an appeal on behalf of and with the support of the West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group (WLGWAG).

The appeal will be heard by the Environmental Review Tribunal. 

The appellants Anne L. Fairfield and Edward Engel who stand to be surrounded and impacted by these forty-seven storey high industrial wind machines stated that they have no choice but to exercise their appeal rights as permitted under the Green Energy Act. They wish to challenge why the MOE approved an Industrial intrusion in an environmentally sensitive and active Agricultural Area which is also densely populated in contrast to most Agricultural areas of the Province. We have at least 244 homes of families and retirees within two kilometres of the five proposed Industrial Wind Turbines Scientific studies they say have shown that a significant number of these people, and others beyond two kilometres., will experience annoyance or sickness and many will not be able to remain in their homes. These results will not only impact our health care system, but will have a financial assessment impact to our Township resulting from property devaluation of 25 to 50 per cent, and some properties may not sell at any price. 

Further they state that the unreasonable subsidies to Wind Proponents everywhere overpower any possible benefits to consumers, especially industries. We are all paying for the subsidies in our Taxes and Electricity Bills, and will continue to pay for the next 20 years, or more. Without subsidies these wind power generator projects would not exist.

Thankfully they believe people are beginning to understand that the whole IWT fiasco will cost MORE than all the other government wasted events put together – the Samsung deal, two halted Gas Plants, ORNGE, Hydro One, and E-Health, etc. Ed stated that there is no financial justification for what the Green Energy Act has undemocratically

dumped on rural Ontario. “It’s ludicrous to be paying other jurisdictions to take the surplus electricity that IWT’s generate during off-peak hours plus the additional cost of the back-up generators for when the wind doesn’t blow.”

 Ontario’s Auditor General’s 2011 Annual Report, page 112, states that, since 2006 (when IWT’s started generating power) Ontario has been a net exporter of electricity. From 2005 – 2011, Ontario lost $1.8 billion on exported electricity, (roughly estimated at a cost of $4,000 per household).

Anne stated that for the appeal they had engaged the services of this province’s champion anti-wind lawyer, Eric Gillespie. She noted this past week Gillespie won a major battle at the Environmental Review Tribunal in a similar appeal of the Ostrander Point wind project where for the first time anti-wind opponents won their appeal and stopped an MOE approved wind project. Ed stated that Gillespie has proven that these contracts can be cancelled and Ed and Anne strongly believe there is sufficient evidence for the same outcome here in West Lincoln.

(Niagara At Large invites you to join in the conversation by sharing your views on the content of this post below. For reasons of transparency and promoting civil dialogue, NAL only posts comments from individuals who share their first and last name with their views.)