If you’ve been following this story, you’ll know that the East Oxford Community Alliance has been protesting the fact that the wind power developer, Prowind (headquarters in Germany), achieved the status of having the project’s documentation “complete” when the fact was important studies and documents were incomplete or missing altogether.

The East Oxford group compiled 26 pages of errors and omissions, which were then sent to the MoE and the Ombudsman’s office.

The comment period for the documents (incomplete or not there at all) was extended by the Ministry of the Environment, but the documentation was still not complete —which means the public is commenting on documents that aren’t 100% accurate.

This is a letter from the group leader, Joan Morris, to protest the situation:

 

Dear Ms. Garcia-Wright,

 

I am in receipt of your letter dated August 6 indicating that the EBR comment period for the Gunn’s Hill wind project will end tomorrow, August 7, 2014, and that no extension will be granted to allow for proper public input on revised information relating to this project. While you state that this was a “30-day comment period”, you must know that is not truly the case, as most residents were not even aware of the posting until half way through this timeframe due to the proponent’s delay in notifying the public. In fact some residents (who were on the mailing list for previous notifications) have never been notified by the proponent regarding this most recent development, even as the comment period closes.

I am concerned that you have justified implementing a “30-day comment period” in this case by indicating the original comment period was 45 days, given that the information available during the previous 45 day comment period was incorrect and does not accurately reflect the project the proponent now proposes to construct. Surely it would be in the best interest of citizens to have the opportunity to adequately review and comment on ACCURATE information. In this case, the rights of citizens are not being respected and for this reason I have copied the offices of the Ombudsman, the Attorney General and Legal Counsel for East Oxford Community Alliance for further investigation of this file.

Your ministry is surely aware that the documents provided to the public and submitted to your office by Prowind Canada do not clearly describe the project it now proposes to build and the public has been denied the right to conduct an adequate review. The “iterative process” you have acknowledged occurs between the proponent and the Ministry, without public involvement is further evidence of the manner in which public input is stifled. This is contradictory to the “open and transparent” environment in which the Ministry and the current government purport to operate.

It is unfortunate that your office has chosen not to allow a proper comment period, as this has the appearance of expediting this project for the benefit of the proponent while trampling the rights of citizens.

Sincerely,

Joan Morris

Wind Concerns Ontario, Aug 12 2014

Setback issue to be argued Sept. 3

WEST LINCOLN — The case against the five industrial wind turbines already spinning in West Lincoln is “still partially alive.”

Anne Fairfield, who appealed the province’s approval of the HAF Wind Energy Project, appeared before the Environmental Review Tribunal for a preliminary hearing last week. All of the issues raised in her original appeal were quashed, meaning only those mentioned in her appeal to the province’s subsequent approval of an amendment to the project will be heard at a hearing next month.

“They knocked out everything not mentioned in the amendment,” said Fairfield. “All we’re left with are property lines and the withdrawing of post construction raptor monitoring.”

Project proponents Rankin Wind Energy and Vineland Power Inc

. had to submit an amendment to their application after it came to light that four of the five turbines were built closer to property lines than regulations allow.

According to the Green Energy Act, turbines must be located a minimum of a blade length from the nearest property — in this case, 95 metres.

The province approved the amended application June 20. Fairfield filed her appeal July 3.

Come Sept. 3 Fairfield will only be able to argue on the issue of property line setback infractions and post-construction raptor monitoring. The West Lincoln resident will no longer be able to present on issues of health, gas wells. hazardous waste and the impact on Charter rights — the issues Fairfield raised in her original appeal to the project’s approval.

Fairfield and members of the West Lincoln Glanbrook WInd Action Group met with Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak Monday to discuss the upcoming tribunal.

Hudak was vocal in his opposition to the Green Energy Act in his time as PC Party Leader. He raised the issue several times at Queen’s Park on behalf of his constituents in West Lincoln and the province at large, calling for a complete moratorium on more than one occasion. He has called on the Minister of Energy, Bob Chiarelli, twice now to “do the right thing” in the case of the HAF project.

“If you had been caught speeding on Twenty Road, you wouldn’t get a redo,” said Hudak, speaking on the province’s approval of the amended application.

“It only makes sense for the government to follow its own laws.”

Hudak, fresh on the heels of his loss to Kathleen Wynne in the race to become premier, said he would do what he can to help his constituents but realizes his influence is not as strong as it could have been had the outcome had been different in June.

“My goal was to win the election and stop this thing in its tracks,” said Hudak. “I’ve met with Wynne and McGuinty, face to face like we are now, to say this is a bad idea for the province as a whole.”

Fairfield asked if the PC party would continue to push against the Liberal’s green agenda without Hudak at helm. Hudak said he appointed Lisa Thompson to the post of energy critic because her own riding of Huron-Bruce was home to several turbine projects. He was confident the party would continue to push against “one of the most destructive policy decisions in recent history.”

Hudak, like the half dozen residents gathered at Veldman’s house, did not have the same level of confidence the Environmental Review Tribunal would side with Fairfield.

“It’s an incredibly stacked deck,” said Hudak.

“ERTs don’t work,” said Fairfield, noting ultimately the decision will lie in either appeals court or in a judicial review, both of which she is prepared to more forward with.

“We don’t have a choice,” she said. “We have to stop these turbines. Not only here, but across the province.”

Grimsby Lincoln News By Amanda Moore, Aug 12 2014