Opinions
What that means for those not up to snuff on their provincial consultations, is that any company building wind farms is required to conduct what the province calls an environmental screening. The screenings are use to identify the potential social, economic and environmental impact the project may have and how to mitigate any possible problems, such as noise.
The dispute is the latest sign of a groundswell of unease over wind power projects in the province, fuelled by groups such as Wind Concerns Ontario, which have been highly critical of the effects of such development on local communities.
Northland's plan for a segment of northeastern Manitoulin is to build a 43-turbine wind station that would generate 77 megawatts of power, to be fed into the provincial power grid. The turbines would be clustered on the Honora and McLean's Mountain regions, identified by the Ontario Power Authority as high potential areas for harnessing wind power. Al Ryan, who works at the local newspaper in Manitoulin and is one of the project's most vocal opponents, says Northland has essentially "bulldozed" its plan over the community with little opportunity for a meaningful public response.
His group believes the company is rushing to avoid a set of guidelines limiting the scope of wind farm development, which the Ontario government plans to incorporate into its newly minted Green Energy Act - a claim Northland disputes.
"We're very disturbed with the fact that they can just come into small communities and we can have so little input," Mr. Ryan said. "It's just about money, another big money project, when we should be thinking about what the realities of environmental change are."
I'm all for renewable energy and think that wind in particular will play an important part in this countries future energy plans. But I'm baffled at how often it appears in this provinces news headlines in a negative way. For a clean and renewable energy technology that many environmentalists and wind advocates are touting to an essential and big producer of this countries future energy, why is their so much controversy and shady implementation surrounding it. All you have to do is take a read at any of the the plentiful posts featured at Wind Concerns Ontario to see that something about this isn't right. I understand there are the NYIMB's and people concerned with the value of their property etc (Which lets face it, is a small price to pay as opposed to continuing to rely on fossil fuels and coal burning plants - with the damage they do) but is this all just a big money grab as Mr. Ryan said?
And in true Wind Farm news tradition, when it rains it pours. All this comes on the same day that the London Free Press reports that:
Not a single wind farm project proposed in the past four years in Ontario has undergone an independent environmental assessment by the province, figures obtained by The Free Press show.
Despite requests from citizens' groups for the assessments, 31 projects have been allowed to go through after a less stringent screening process undertaken by the wind farm proponents themselves.
"It demonstrates the process is a sham," said John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of 33 smaller groups.
Full story here
Wait, WHAT? Nooooo, that can't be right. There's no way the McGuinty Government would allow something like this. There has to be some kind of mistake. They wouldn't just toss money at these companies and streamline the approval process allowing peoples legitimate concerns and protests to fall by the wayside? Oh wait, yup they did. Just look at the numbers.
Requests for environmental assessments:
2006: 4 (all denied)
2007: 7 (all denied)
2008: 12 (all denied)
Clearly McGuinty's plans on briging this province into a brighter clearner "GREENER" future and he won't let a bunch of rural hicks stand in his way.
It's curious though, I wonder if the so called "greenies" and wind farm advocates are enthralled with the idea, why not create a registry of land owners willing and eager to have them built on and near their land? I have to believe those that meet the requirments will be ovejoyed, development will begin and hell, even McGuinty can throw one in his backyard. Or is this a minor flaw and classic case of those wishing to impose their ideas on other people at other people's expense, no matter the cost?
Looks like we need a better plan.
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