Wind turbines spin near the village of Halkirk, in Paintearth County, Alta. Another wind farm is planned nearby, but residents in the area aren't happy with the process that led to the approval of a 74-turbine project by Capital Power. (Dave Rae/CBC)

Impact on People Alberta

EAST POINT, P.E.I. — Don Humphrey remains convinced that a proposed expansion of an existing windmill farm in Eastern Kings will be harmful for local wetland habitat and for the migratory bird population.

Impact on People Prince Edward Island

The government of Ontario has known there are serious health issues experienced in industrial wind projects.

Impact on People Energy Policy Ontario

My well water issues have not resolved themselves, Mr. Mayor. Rather they have become increasingly worse. It’s very clear you’re using the COVID-19 as a way to push the wind farm agenda through, while looking the other way on the damage already caused by its construction in the area I live.  My stress level, frustration, the lack of support you promised, ...lack of water to shower, cook, clean, needing to buy all my water to drink and cook with, as per the Ottawa Health department’s multiple test results I’ve had done through the government is crazy.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

“The buzz is killing you all day long,” said Frank Davoodian as he testified in the hearings that his wife had been driven away from the home because the hydro line and construction of it impacted her health.

Impact on People Transmission Ontario

Ontario's Environment Minister Jeff Yurek has responded to being named in charges regarding the Ontario Court of Justice determining there are reasonable grounds to believe environmental offenses were committed at several wind turbine projects in Chatham-Kent.

Pollution Impact on People Legal Ontario

Burke’s lawyer, Eric Gillespie, says roughly 80 families have been impacted by the contamination, which he alleges occurred when deposits of black shale in the soil were disturbed during construction of the project. “When you put up very large wind turbines that are 100 metres high, they require very large foundations,” he said. “Once they started developing these projects it became clear they were interfering with the drinking water supplies for many of the residents.”

Pollution Impact on People Legal Ontario

Ontario labour minister and PC Lambton-Kent Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton announced the investigation on July 19 to look into concerns about water well contamination allegedly stemming from pile driving work carried out for a wind energy development project. A panel of five independent experts was convened to determine "if the water from private wells in Chatham-Kent is safe for consumption."

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

Impact on People Noise Ontario

“Up to now, resident complaints have been largely ignored by the Ministry. The documents we received showed the response rate had actually declined, and the Ministry did not seem prepared to take any action at all against the wind power operators, who are classified as the ‘Client’ in Ministry documents.

Impact on People Noise Ontario

Recent blade rupture on Kawartha Lakes turbine still under investigation by energy company

Impact on People Safety Ontario

Water Wells First members were once optimistic after a promise made by Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford during last year’s provincial election campaign that a health-hazard investigation would be initiated if he was elected premier. However, since the citizens’ group received that promise in writing from Ford last May, its members continue to wait for this investigation to start.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

Local water activists are up in arms over plans for Chatham-Kent’s Chief Medical Officer of Health to speak about groundwater at an upcoming conference. ...Water Wells First officials say without a proper Health Hazard Investigation into the issue locally, Dr Colby’s presentation may be somewhat premature.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

A Melancthon family is taking Dufferin Wind Power Inc. to court over allegations that the hydro transmission lines have affected their quality of life. The case is set to go before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal in the spring, after expert reports have been filed for both sides.

Impact on People Property Values Transmission Ontario

Residents realized their worst fears as the project began the construction phase last summer. Nineteen wells began to experience sediment problems, Jakubec says — nearly a third of the 64 wells that the group members had tested at their own expense. Bill Clarke, a hydrogeologist for Water Wells First who gathered and analyzed the samples, says follow-up testing showed the affected wells experienced changes in water turbidity, amount of particles, colour, and rate of flow.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

In a decision dated late last week, the Ontario's Environmental Review Tribunal said the group's evidence was not strong enough. "We were not surprised by the tribunal's ruling, but we were disappointed by the outcome," said Margaret Benke, who lives near the wind farm site and was involved in organizing the appeal. ...Benke said the group is considering a lawsuit, though it may be too costly.

Impact on People Legal Ontario

McNaughton said the health ministry has ordered Ontario’s chief medical officer to review all of the data on past collections and information gathered over the past few years to get answers for impacted families. “(This) begins the process of getting to the bottom of this,” the MPP said.

Impact on People Ontario

Water Wells First, a grassroots group, began raising concerns two years ago about the potential impact the construction of the North Kent Wind farm would have on water wells due to Kettle Point black shale geology and the shallow aquifer in the area. Since then, more than 20 water wells have reported significant amounts of sediments that have clogged up the flow of water during construction and after operation of the wind farm began.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario

Kroker says plans for the wind farm have been in the works for years but the sizable turbine model was not disclosed until the summer of 2017. The towers have never been tested in North America. “There are no real studies on a tower this size when it comes to health effects and, for a lot of our community members, that’s the big sticking point.”

Impact on People Alberta

Opposition candidates call for a halt of wind turbine development after Chatham-Kent residents complain that green energy ruined their wells WALLACEBURG — Water Wells First, a grassroots group of about 60 families based north of Chatham, has struggled over the last two years to convince the provincial Liberal government that the area’s wind farms are ruining their well water, but to no avail.

Pollution Impact on People Ontario