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

An Ontario Justice of the Peace has determined on July 12 that there are reasonable and probable grounds to lay charges under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) against Jeff Yurek, Ontario’s minister of the environment, the Environment Ministry and the three industrial wind companies — Pattern Energy Group, Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. and Engie Canada Inc.  

Pollution 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

CRYSLER — A North Stormont woman is concerned about potentially harmful dust clouds blown onto her property and those around her as access roads are being built for the Nation Rise Wind Farm.

General Ontario

A year after the Ford government scuttled an under-construction wind farm in eastern Ontario, the half-built site is still standing and the project’s owner and province remain locked in negotiations on compensation — despite promises the decision would not cost taxpayers.

Energy Policy Ontario

Wpd Canada had worked out a deal with the Liberal government in 2009, but in early July 2018, within a month of being elected, the Progressive Conservative government announced it would be backing out of the contract. Although the White Pines Wind Project Termination Act came into effect in July 2018, on July 3, 2019, the provincial government passed a regulation that entitles wpd to receive compensation for “eligible costs.”

General Ontario

Impact on People Noise Ontario

Natyshak asked Premier Doug Ford when his government was going [to] make good on his promise to call for an “immediate” health hazard investigation into water wells clogged with sediment after construction began on wind turbines in Dover and Chatham township areas.

Pollution 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

Residents living near the Sumac Ridge Wind Farm say a damaged blade isn’t the only thing that’s been left blowing in the wind. The are fed up with the dangling piece of metal hitting the turbine and making a loud banging noise for the past two weeks. They are calling on the owners to repair it immediately saying it’s causing headaches and keeping then up at night.

Safety Structural Failure Ontario

Senvion, the German company behind the Sumac Ridge turbine project in Kawartha Lakes, filed for insolvency just days before a Pontypool-area turbine failed on April 20. ...Financial sources had told Reuters that the Hamburg-based company needed at least 100 million euros ($112 million) in the short term to keep operating.

General Ontario

A 5,400-kilogram blade on a wind turbine exploded and shredded near Pontypool in the City of Kawartha Lakes on Saturday morning. Officials are investigating after a wind turbine in the City of Kawartha Lakes was heavily damaged on the weekend.

Safety Structural Failure Ontario

KAWARTHA LAKES-Neighbours of the Sumac Ridge Wind farm on Wild Turkey Road say they heard a grinding sound followed by a loud explosion this morning. When they looked out they saw one of the blades on a turbine was shredded.

Safety Structural Failure Ontario

The employee received a severe injury, which resulted in a permanent injury, according to the Ministry of Labour. The investigation revealed that CS Wind didn't provide workers with "information, instruction and or instruction with respect to a safe procedure for cutting wind tower sections."

Safety Injury Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has confirmed that the plant is in a “state of shutdown”, but there is still no word on whether the shutdown is temporary or permanent. The City of Windsor, which offered the company millions of dollars in incentives to set up shop in the city, is among those trying to get answers.  However, city officials have not made much headway.

General 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

Hundreds of people are out of work after CS Wind, which moved to Windsor with great fanfare and $10 million in incentives, shut down its local factory. ...MacPherson said the explanation he heard for the shutdown was a lack of work after the province cancelled hundreds of renewable energy contracts.

General 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