Monthly Archives: July 2019

Adverse Health Effects, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Environment, Health, legal challenges, Ontario Wind, Property Rights, Unite the Fight!

Ontario being charged under Environmental Protection Act

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Province, wind turbine companies charged under Environmental Protection Act

There are reasonable and probable grounds to believe environmental offences have been committed

CBC News | Province, wind turbine companies charged under Environmental Protection Act

The Ontario Court of Justice has determined there are “reasonable and probable grounds” to believe environmental offences have been committed by Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, ministry staff and three industrial wind companies in Chatham-Kent.

According to court documents, the charges come from the Environmental Protection Act.

Eric Gillespie, a Toronto-based lawyer, represents complainants who have been experiencing problems with their water wells.

“When somebody believes there has been an offence committed, they can go directly to the courts,” said Gillespie. “One local resident went last week before a justice of the peace, who heard information and formed the opinion that there were grounds to believe offences had been committed.”

One witness called to court is Christine Burke, who spoke to CBC in February 2018 about the problems with her water well.

Burke was not permitted to speak to CBC now that she’s named as a witness in the court proceedings.

As a result, the summons to appear in court were issued to the Ministry of Environment, the minister of the environment and the three companies.

According to court documents and Gillespie, the charges are for ongoing actions since 2017.

In one, Jeff Yurek, minister of the environment, is named as failing to “take all reasonable care to prevent the installation and operation of the wind turbines at East Lake St. Clair Wind Farm, run by Engie Canada and at the North Kent 1 Wind Farm run by Pattern Energy Group and Samsung Renewable Energy from discharging or causing or permitting the discharge of contaminants.”

Those contaminants include black shale and potentially hazardous metals….

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Adverse Health Effects, Health, Noise

Talk about Infra & Low Frequency Noise

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A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR PROFESSOR ALVES-PEREIRA TALK ABOUT INFRA AND LOW FREQUENCY NOISE

low frequency noise

Save the Date for an Invited Talk

Host:          Richard Mann  http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~mannr

Speaker:   Mariana Alves-Pereira

Title: 

Infrasound & Low Frequency Noise: Physics, Cells, Health and History

Date:          Thursday September 12, 2019

Time:         1 pm Location: University of Waterloo Room: DC 1302 (Davis Center)

Speaker Bio:
Mariana Alves-Pereira holds a B.Sc. in Physics (State University of New York at Stony Brook), a M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering (Drexel University) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (New University of Lisbon). She joined the multidisciplinary research team investigating the biological response to infrasound and low frequency noise in 1988, and has been the team’s Assistant Coordinator since 1999. Recipient of three scientific awards, and author and co-author of over 50 scientific publications (including peer-reviewed and conference presentations), Dr. Alves-Pereira is currently Associate Professor at Lusófona University teaching Biophysics and Biomaterials in health science programs (nursing and radiology), as well as Physics and Hygiene in workplace safety & health programs.

Dr. Mariana Alves-Pereira can be reached at:   m.alvespereira@gmail.com

marian alves pereia
Dr. Alves-Pereira Associate Professor at Lusófona University teaching Biophysics and Biomaterials in health science programs (nursing and radiology), as well as Physics and Hygiene in workplace safety & health programs.
Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Destruction from turbines, Direct Effects, Environment, Health

Concerns raised about Nation Rise Wind Farm construction

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Nation Rise cement dust 1
Photo provided by Laurie Harkin-Chiasson shows the dust cloud created as Portland Cement Type 10 is being loaded from one vehicle onto another for construction of access roads for the Nation Rise Wind Farm on July 11, 2019.

Sarnia The Observer|Nick Dunne|July 23, 2019

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.

Laurie Harkin-Chiasson was shocked to learn the dust billowing from the construction contained Portland 10 cement powder, which can cause skin and respiratory irritation and serious eye damage. Harkin-Chiasson said she and her neighbours weren’t notified of the construction on July 11, when she warned her neighbour who was walking with her infant in a stroller as the clouds came through, nor were they notified on July 15 when construction resumed nearby her home.

“I’ve taken it upon myself to stand up for my community,” she said.

The clouds came from a soil-stabilization procedure being done to build the access roads to the 29 wind turbines. The procedure involves removing the topsoil and blending the soil below with cement, before covering the surface gravel to secure the floor for paving.

“I could feel it in the back of my throat,” said Harkin-Chiasson.

The safety data sheet (SDS) from Lafarge, a cement and concrete company, said long- and short-term exposure to the dust of Portland 10 cement can cause severe skin burns, eye damage and may cause respiratory irritation. It may also cause acute silicosis, which “results from short-term exposure to very large amounts of respirable crystalline silica,” according to the SDS sheet.

Harkin-Chiasson has taken the matter to EDP Renewables, the company that owns the wind farm, along with North Stormont council, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Labour.

According to Harkin-Chiasson, it took two calls to the ministry before the EDP began sending notices.

She was particularly angered when she was told through the ministry the company had offered to wash the cars of those affected by the dust.

“Our community’s health and safety is at risk. I was so insulted,” Harkin-Chiasson said.

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Adverse Health Effects, Destruction from turbines, Health

Health Hazard Investigation of impacted Water Wells

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k2 water windproject

Well water in Chatham Kent  has been reported contaminated with black shale sediment during construction and operations of the North Kent Wind* project.  Ontario’s current government made an election promise to investigate.  (*Post corrected July 21, 2019- Chatham Kent, Niagara region and others have also experienced water quality issues with wind projects)

Pressure applied at Queen’s Park for C-K Water Well Probe

Please see July 19, 2019 announcement  made by MPP Monte McNaughton copied below.

It  has not escaped notice no mention is made by the Province  with the association of changes in water quality with the wind project.

July 19, 2019

Ontario Conducting Health Hazard Investigation

Province Creates Independent Panel of Scientists to Investigate Water Wells, Fulfilling Commitment

Chatham Kent — Ontario’s government for the people has formed an expert independent panel to investigate well water in Chatham Kent, MPP McNaughton announced today.

The five-member independent panel will determine if the water from private wells in Chatham-Kent is safe for consumption.

“Our government made a promise to strike this panel,” said McNaughton. “Today we are fulfilling that promise.”

The five-member independent panel will consist of four experienced toxicologists and one local geologist. All members are independent from government and are experienced toxicology professionals that have served on advisory committees.

The panel is empowered to take a fresh look at new samples collected from certain water wells in Chatham-Kent where residents have raised questions about water quality. Samples from up to 189 private wells will be taken by a third-party business and tested by a commercial laboratory.

The announcement fulfills a government commitment.

“Barely one year after this promise was made, we are fulfilling it,” said McNaughton. “And we’re doing it in a way that will inspire confidence from the people of this community. People can trust the results this independent panel delivers.”

BACKGROUND

The five independent experts comprising the panel are:

Dr. Keith Benn, PhD – A local geologist and past professor of geology at University of Ottawa.

Dr. Glenn Ferguson, PhD, QPRA – An environmental health scientist with 25 years experience in toxicology, epidemiology, and human health risk assessment.

Dr. Shelley A. Harris, PhD – An epidemiologist and associate professor at University of Toronto who specializes in exposure measurement.

Dr. Ron Brecher, PhD – A specialist in toxicology, risk assessment and risk communication.

Mark Chappel, MSc, DABT – A toxicologist with significant experience in supervising and managing comprehensive toxicity studies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

John Fraser

John.Fraser@pc.ola.org

Adverse Health Effects, Children Affected, Environment, Health, Property Rights

Standoff with Nation Rise Wind

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Located approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Ottawa, ON near the South Nation River, the Nation Rise Wind Farm is situated in the Municipality of North Stormont within the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry.

Residents have reported being exposed to cement dust used for access road construction for Nation Rise wind.  BOREA is the on-site construction company  hired by EDP Renewables.  EDP was awarded a renewable energy approval on May 4, 2018.  BOREA is the same company, named among other defendants, in the West Lincoln $10 million personal injury and damage lawsuit currently being heard before the courts.

During the construction of Niagara Wind residents were forced to seek emergency health care after becoming ill  after exposure to dust from  that project’s construction.

Construction dust from a wind turbine project in Niagara is behind a 10 million lawsuit; 2018/02/01

Is history being repeated?

Video posted by Nation Valley News July 14, 2019

 

Photos of construction of access road for Nation Rise Wind, July 2019

Adverse Health Effects, Cost Benefit, Environment, ERT Appeal, How to Fight Big Wind...

Wind Pines Ordered Closed

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White Pines Wind ordered closed by Ontario

New regulation under the Environmental Protection Act to close the White Pines Wind Project

ERO number
013-3835
Notice type
Regulation
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
October 17, 2018 – December 1, 2018 (45 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
October 17, 2018
to December 1, 2018

Follow this notice

Decision summary

We decided to make a new regulation to require that the closure of the White Pines Wind Facility is carried out in a way that is protective of human health and the environment.

Link to Decision