Windlectric Defies Its Own Turtle Protocol – Blanding’s Turtles Endangered

Posted May 6, 2018  on FaceBook by: Association to Protect Amherst Island 

“Windlectric (AQN-T) was advised of the presence of a nesting Blanding’s Turtle on Front Road on Amherst Island in immediate proximity of collector installation. Instead of stopping work in accordance with its own protocol, the company continued to install collector lines, transport cement and use heavy equipment.

Honourable Chris Ballard, Minister MOECC, has been requested to require compliance and protect endangered species.

Blanding’s Turtles nest at maturity and live to be 70 to 100 years. The loss of one turtle or one nest devastates the species.

The ERT decision says:

The ERT in its decision understood the grave harm to the population of Blanding’s Turtles and said without equivocation:

[325] Additionally, the Tribunal finds that the mitigation measures incorporated as conditions of the REA have all but eliminated the potential for turtle mortality and have minimized the potential for indirect impacts to habitat during the construction phase. The construction window of November 1 to March 31 for those portions of the Project closest to the coastal wetlands, and the window of September 1 to March 31 for the remainder of the Project, will ensure that construction takes place outside the period during which turtles are active outside of their resident wetlands. Additionally, in the rare event that a turtle remains active during construction, the Tribunal is satisfied that the exclusionary fencing to be used, mostly on private agricultural land, will ensure that turtles are not able to access construction areas.

[337] Despite having made this finding, due to the uncertainty around the location of temporary areas of flooding and water bodies, and recognizing that there is a chance that a turtle may nest on an access road while Project staff are not present and nests may remain hidden from view, the Tribunal makes two recommendations as follows:

a. that no access roads be used during any flooding events during the active season for Blanding’s Turtle in order to ensure that should any turtles be present that they are given time to vacate the access road before Project staff use it; and

b. that no road grading take place during the nesting season for Blanding’s Turtles in order to ensure that any road-side nests are unharmed as a result of grading activities on access roads.

[338] The Tribunal is of the view that these two additional measures will add an additional layer of protection in the unlikely event that a turtle finds itself, or nests, on an access road.

Windlectric Inc. has violated the timing restrictions every business day since April 1 and most recently has worked on Sunday.

What say you Robert Wright and Justin Duncan?”

To contact Minister Chris Ballard ,MOECC (Minister of Environment & Climate Change):
Email: minister.moecc@ontario.ca
Phone:   416-314-6790
Mail: Ferguson Block 11th Flr, 77 Wellesley St W, Toronto, ON M7A 2T5