Further study also being done on Bill 150  

AMHERSTBURG - Town administration is expected to provide more information to council in coming weeks about the proposed South Side Wind Farm and members of council are joining members of the Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE) with questions of their own.

Councillor Bob Pillon brought up the issue of potential health impacts at two points during the April 14 town council meeting. He said other municipalities are bringing up the same issue and wanted feedback on the matter.

"We need answers," said Pillon.

Deputy Mayor Robert Bailey, council's appointee to the ACE committee, said the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) released their "Green Paper" on Bill 150, the province's proposed alternative energy legislation. Bailey said he wanted the ACE committee to review and respond to the Green Paper within the next several weeks.

Councillor Rick Fryer was glad ACE came forward and will review the Bill 150 issue because he doesn't want the town to "get stuck" with less power pertaining to this issue.

ACE has already reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Study (EIS) put forth by wind farm proponents genGrowth. Some of their concerns have to do with migratory bird routes, a "commonly observed passage of resident Bald Eagles" which they say was "not discussed", possible interruptions to wireless Internet services and wildlife disturbances among others. Manager of Development Services Jackie Hubbs, who has been in communication with both sides of the matter, said the ACE committee will review the EIS/ESR of March 2009 and provide comments to council at the beginning of May with recommendations expected at that time.

"We will be providing communication shortly," she said.

A recent meeting of residents at the Malden Community & Cultural Centre saw a presentation by Bill and Maureen Anderson, who outlined concerns from the Essex County Wind Action Group and the affiliated Wind Concerns Ontario. Specifically, they outlined problems they have with the provincial government's proposed Bill 150, the Green Energy Act. They believe the bill takes away rights away from rural residents.

"It scares the hell out of me," said Bill Anderson.

Anderson said that the bill puts residents under the gun should they want to challenge things as a wind farm development.

"There's a reverse onus clause in the bill," he charged. "The onus is on you to actually do an Environmental Assessment."

According to Anderson, Bill 150 would also make municipal bylaws "null and void" adding the County of Essex recently spent thousands on a study put out by the Jones Group.

"It should scare the hell out of everyone," he said. "The rights it's going to take away from rural residents is unbelievable."

Anderson said in countries like Denmark, fossil fuel plants have to be used to back up wind farms. There were numerous concerns relating to cost and benefit he outlined.

"You have to weigh new technologies against cost and benefit," he said. "If there is no benefit, why are we spending all this money?"