As opponents of the proposed backyard wind turbine at 70 Iona St., we can assure readers that it was not "fear of the unknown" that led to our opposition to the installation. It was concern about the known. The Ontario Municipal Board decision focused on planning issues and the applicant as a result failed on all four required tests for the minor variance Graham Findlay sought.

What we can't see from Kingston, but what one island neighbour told me is among the biggest changes to their lives, is the noise. When the wind is up, "it sounds like a jet engine coming through -- and they're not all up and running yet."

Sunday's massive series of explosions at a Toronto propane plant gives credence to every Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) argument posed to this point in time. ...In Barrie, Northern Ethanol's plan to build a plant on the former Molson Brewery site has faced opposition from residents in every part of the city. Opposition to Bob Jackson's plan to built a wind turbine on his Mapleview Drive West Toyota dealership has, conversely, caused mostly local concerns. In both cases, however, opponents fear the worse. ...And everyone is concerned about how it will affect their bottom lines, property values. The point is, the reason people look at worst-case scenarios is that sometimes they happen.

The safety of the citizens of Chatham-Kent is being compromised by improper siting of industrial wind turbines. The General Electric wind turbine "Ice shedding and ice throw -- risk and mitigation" manual states that "1.5 x (hub height + rotor diameter) is the formula for calculating a safe distance for turbine siting from roads and public areas." ...The setbacks C-K has in place for industrial wind turbines (50 m from roadways and property boundaries, and 300 metres from homes) are a threat to the public.