The likelihood of Ontario agreeing to a moratorium on new wind generation projects until the potential health impacts are studied appeared to dim this week. Bill Bilton, the mayor of Dawn-Euphemia, said council members still hope to meet with Energy Minister George Smitherman to talk about the township’s call for the moratorium and study, even after hearing the strong comments Premier Dalton McGuinty made this week in favour of green energy projects.

The not-in-my backyard syndrome will not be allowed to halt green energy projects in Ontario and the jobs they bring, Premier Dalton McGuinty told a London audience today. He said if all safety and environmental standards are met, communities will not be allowed to reject wind turbines, solar panels or biofuel plants simply because they don't like them. He said the new Green Energy Act his government will enact is intended to prevent such barriers to green energy projects and the 50,000 jobs they bring.

A number of Grey Highlands residents want their council to ban the development of wind towers in that municipality until more extensive research into the health effects of the turbines can be conducted. Grey Highlands resident Virginia Stewart-Love attended Monday's regular council meeting to ask council to consider a moratorium on wind energy proposals in the municipality until further health studies can be conducted. Stewart-Love's presentation on Monday was the second presentation to council in recent months to ask for such a moratorium.

Noise from an industrial wind farm substation in Amaranth has generated several complaints as of late. Residents near the transformers say the sounds have been stronger than usual and they want action - something the company says it's already taken. "It's like a humming noise. We can actually hear it inside the house. It just kind of vibrates inside the house," explains Terry Kidd, who lives across the street from the transformers.

The ringing in his ears and the constant headaches started about a year ago. Ross Moulton has been to his doctor many times and underwent a CAT scan, but so far there is no diagnosis, no reason for his illness. ...Dr. Robert McMurtry, the former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario, is calling for the province to study the health impact of wind turbines. "At a minimum, they should be doing a survey of people around wind farms and getting a sense of how many people are complaining of problems," McMurtry says.

The Ontario Municipal Board has ruled that proposals for 15 wind turbines in East Luther Grand Valley conform to all applicable legislation and the township's Official Plan. But while OMB member J. R. Aker released his decision last week, he withheld his order for up to 180 days pending the resolution of all outstanding issues. "In order to address public health and safety issues the following protocols and operating procedures are to be prepared to the satisfaction of the Township and will be implemented for the project ..."

Windmills, and wind turbines, are harmless. Or are they? Centuries after Quixote's fictional fight, the question of wind-power safety is at the centre of a battle between homeowners and an energy firm 150 km southeast of Calgary, where hundreds of wind turbines are planned. Two farmers living close to the Blackspring Ridge Wind Project say they are worried about long-term health impacts -- something the company, Greengate, says has no basis in fact.

When London surgeon Robert McMurtry decided to build a house, he wanted to go green - geothermal heating, solar panels for hot water and a wind turbine for electricity. But when he started reading about wind turbines, the former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario said he had a change of heart. "I thought, ‘Holy Toledo, there are some issues here.' "

A number of Huron-Kinloss residents are claiming the Suncor/Acciona wind turbine project is having a serious impact on their health. A presentation was made at Huron-Kinloss council's Jan. 19 meeting requesting help in their talks with Suncor and Acciona. Sandy MacLeod claimed the turbines are the cause of a rash of health problems, including high blood pressure, headaches, sleep disturbances ...

After two failed motions, Bluewater council passed their bylaw outlining setbacks for the construction of wind turbines from urban settlements, dwellings and roads. ...councillors didn't think changes should be made because they heard such positive feedback from constituents regarding the 1,000 metre setback. Coun. Tyler Hessel says he received phone calls from farmers telling him "good job" on confirming the 1,000 metre setback.

Farmers in southern Alberta have filed an appeal with the province against a proposed transmission line that would cut a swath through prime irrigation land, arguing the Montana-Alberta Tie Line does not meet the public interest. A group of 16 landowners, lead by the Lavesta Area Group, want to see the 346-kilometre line between Lethbridge and Great Falls, Mont., rerouted five kilometres east of the provincially and federally approved route.

They may not be erected yet but the energy produced by windmills planned for Prince Edward County already has a buyer. The Ontario Power Authority has awarded long-term contracts for six green energy projects in the province ...Prince Edward County council passed a motion asking senior governments to study the health effects of wind turbines to assist them in the ongoing debate.

The winds of skepticism gusted through the auditorium of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate last night as about 500 Scarborough residents gathered to learn more about a proposed wind power development off Toronto's eastern shoreline. Toronto Hydro is considering a plan to install up to 60 wind turbines in Lake Ontario, on a natural reef two to four kilometres offshore.

Golden Sheep Power is conducting a study to see how people react to the equipment in a urban setting, from a visual and auditory perspective. The results may later be considered by the city for a bylaw to allow residents to install small, renewable-energy generators at their homes. "It will be up so that the public can make comment," said Adrian Smedstad, head of the company's research and development team.

Alexandra Mactavish, one of the spokespersons for the Citizens Against Lake Erie Wind Turbines called the bay south of Leamington and Kingsville a treasure with "magnificent sunsets," migratory birds, fishing and underwater shipwrecks. "We have to fight very hard," she told Leamington council Monday. "We have to preserve what we have."

Opponents are seeking greater setbacks than the required 400 metres between the 360-ft. towers and neighbouring homes. Prowind has proposed a 500-metre setback. Prowind managing director Bart Geleynse Jr. said that, while wind power installations may be held up by opposition, it's provincial government policy to implement alternative energy producers and that's what's going to happen.

Murphy said one of the major concerns of residents was noise. He said the city has now modified its plans to bring the noise level below 45 decibels - a standard that will address the noise issue. Residents were also concerned about the closeness of the turbines to property lines. Murphy said the setback requirements go hand in hand with noise levels so by reducing the noise levels generated by the turbines, the structures can remain located as planned.

The residents of North Gower who crowded into a small community hall to hear about the wind farm proposed for their backyard know the time for green power has come, but that didn't stop worries about the impact of giant turbines on their health and property values. ...Many of the 300 who filed through the three-hour information session supported the idea of moving to more renewable fuels, but questioned how the sight and sound of the turbines would affect them and drive down the value of their properties.

No doubt about it, green is good. So why is it that across the country, more and more people are seeing red over wind energy? Some say that in the rush to develop wind power, current government regulations aren't doing enough to protect human health, or the environment. ..."I think the government really needs to step up to the plate and make sure they do their due diligence and make sure they do their history checks on where they are putting these wind turbines because it's about location, location, location," said one member. "The government has made rural Ontario residents expendable in the name of green energy."

A couple from West Prince has proof from the government their property has dropped in value since wind turbines were put up near their home. ...Beverly Howard told CBC News Monday there are now five new turbines within sight of their home, the closest about 500 metres away. "If you're sitting out on your deck, they're noisy, if you're out gardening they're noisy," she said.