Comments suggestions for the White Pines Wind Project
Submit options:
1- Post on the Environmental Registry (EBR# 013-3835)
2- Send by mail
3- Phone the Ministry (MECP)
Deadline Nov 30, 2018
Below are topics that you can choose to make points of Protest for the Cancellation of the White Pines Wind Project (1st Category) or to express Support for the Project (2nd category) or both. The points are organized by subject matter and may be stated in different ways, so that you can choose the language that most reflects your concerns. Instructions for filing are at the bottom.
NOTE: The Ministry gives stronger weight to comments supported by Facts, so include the diagrams and source if possible.
Submit options:
1- Post on the Environmental Registry (EBR# 013-3835)
2- Send by mail
3- Phone the Ministry (MECP)
Deadline Nov 30, 2018
Below are topics that you can choose to make points of Protest for the Cancellation of the White Pines Wind Project (1st Category) or to express Support for the Project (2nd category) or both. The points are organized by subject matter and may be stated in different ways, so that you can choose the language that most reflects your concerns. Instructions for filing are at the bottom.
NOTE: The Ministry gives stronger weight to comments supported by Facts, so include the diagrams and source if possible.
Pick 1 to 3 (maximum) comments for each submission. You can make as many submissions, as you’d like, provided that they are different points submitted. The more submissions made, the more effective it will be.
Category 1: Points of Protest Against the Cancellation of White Pines.
1. Another gas plant scandal
a. Cancelling of the wind farm, was just like cancelling the gas plants. The PCs railed against the Liberal Government for cancelling the gas plants, then did the same thing when they came into power. The public will once again, be stuck paying the bill, without any benefit in return.
or
b. The Conservative government spent years criticizing the former Liberal government for wasting hundreds of millions in tax payer money to move two gas plants. Then, the first thing the Conservative government does, coming into power, is to waste millions of dollars by canceling a wind energy project that was 80% built.
2. Erosions of the democratic process.
a. To Cancel the White Pines Wind Project, without public consultation, and without the right of appeal erodes the democratic process that Ontarians and Canadians hold dear.
b. This project underwent significant public consultation over the last 10 years. There were numerous Public Meetings, numerous EBR postings and numerous appeals. Yet, the project was killed without any public consultation and without the right of appeal. This is un-democratic and totally unacceptable.
c. The public was given numerous opportunities for consultation and appeal on this project. The protests against it were addressed and none met even the legal case to cancel it. None of it withstood the measure of scrutiny, because most of it was fueled by a few, well-funded individuals that simply didn’t want it. Then the PC government, with inaccurate data, ignored what had been reviewed, scrutinized and approved by the Ministries and legal channels. It totally disregard of what was already vetted by the REA and judicial process. The PC government created legislation to kill the project – without review of the facts, without public consultation, without the right of appeal, and without even providing notice to the developer. How unfair, how un-democratic.
d. People delayed this project using birds, turtles and heritage until they could get a new government to kill this project. The fact is that for 10 years, the project upheld every regulation, fulfilled every mandate, addressed and got through each challenge, complied with each change in requirements each additional regulation, each delay while putting processes in place to better the environment and its species at risk. The project was just a few months from “turning on the switch”. This new government, in power just a few months, obliterated years of a previous government’s work – without due process. This cancellation was rammed through legislation, did not allow for public comment and removed the right of appeal. It killed a perfectly viable project and left the tax papers paying the bill for a few people’s political gain. Shame on the PCs.
3. Waste of Tax payer dollars
a. Canceling the fully permitted White Pines Wind Project will be wasting millions of tax payer dollars with nothing to show for it. The project has been in development for 10 years following all consultation and approval requirements and the developer has to be compensated for their costs.
b. How can the government justify to the taxpayer or the ratepayer, the cost of gas plan 2.0 (killing of the White Pines Wind project).
4. Disingenuous “Open for Business”
a. If the province is really “open for business” they will reconsider their decision to rescind the White Pines Wind Project. The government’s decision to cancel the project has had a negative impact on investment in Ontario, particularly from European investment. Alternatively, perhaps the government should add asterisks to their Highways signs promoting Ontario as being “Open for Business” and add “Warning: Invest at your own risk. Contracted Projects, can be cancelled at any time.”
b. The government had introduced the “Open for business” Act, to attract more business and investment to Ontario. Which means more electricity will be needed to support these businesses, their air conditioners and their technologies. We’ll need more electricity to support consumer’s growing thirst for their products and/or for bigger cars, electric vehicles, TV’s, IPADs, etc. This is magnified with a warming climate that increases the need for air conditioners. How can the gov’t decrease our dependency on oil, reduce the use of Renewable Energy, and expect more investment here? It just doesn’t add up.
5. Bogus weapons.
a. Opponents used the birds, turtles or heritage as weapons against this project. They didn’t really care about the environment and the species at risk. If they did, we would see some efforts in the county dedicated to reducing mortality of these species such as such as lowering the speed limits during the turtle season, or contributing to programs that reduce mortality from predators and poaching. We would see building codes that reduce the mortality of birds from tall building and house collisions, which is incidentally, the third highest cause of bird deaths in Canada. Buildings are the cause of 15,000 times more deaths to birds than wind turbines could ever be). But the people, and the Ministry will go to great lengths to ensure the that less than 10 birds per turbine are killed per year.
6. Closing requirements for the project.
a. Speaking for several landowners on the Royal Road stretch, having the ditches reopened by hoe ramming, causing noise, dust, increased traffic and possibly vibration issues just to remove cable that had been buried, is a waste of time and resources, not to mention the detriment this will cause to the road, especially Royal Road.
b. Royal Road – this road has been in poor shape for many years, recently PEC announced it would resurface it after the construction was done. Now that this is delayed, PEC is again delaying this work, causing more degradation and possible vehicular incidents, and this can be directly blamed on the current government for canceling this project.
c. When comparing the originally approved decommissioning plan as submitted by the company to the Ministry as part of the REA, one has to question the reasoning behind the MOECP increasing the requirements from 9 pages to 25.
d. As per the requirement under 9.13 of the technical document posted under this proposed legislation to cancel the White Pines Wind Project, I, as a landowner, do not want the MOE to impose on my land the need for gates, I want unobstructed access to my own property.
a. Cancelling of the wind farm, was just like cancelling the gas plants. The PCs railed against the Liberal Government for cancelling the gas plants, then did the same thing when they came into power. The public will once again, be stuck paying the bill, without any benefit in return.
or
b. The Conservative government spent years criticizing the former Liberal government for wasting hundreds of millions in tax payer money to move two gas plants. Then, the first thing the Conservative government does, coming into power, is to waste millions of dollars by canceling a wind energy project that was 80% built.
2. Erosions of the democratic process.
a. To Cancel the White Pines Wind Project, without public consultation, and without the right of appeal erodes the democratic process that Ontarians and Canadians hold dear.
b. This project underwent significant public consultation over the last 10 years. There were numerous Public Meetings, numerous EBR postings and numerous appeals. Yet, the project was killed without any public consultation and without the right of appeal. This is un-democratic and totally unacceptable.
c. The public was given numerous opportunities for consultation and appeal on this project. The protests against it were addressed and none met even the legal case to cancel it. None of it withstood the measure of scrutiny, because most of it was fueled by a few, well-funded individuals that simply didn’t want it. Then the PC government, with inaccurate data, ignored what had been reviewed, scrutinized and approved by the Ministries and legal channels. It totally disregard of what was already vetted by the REA and judicial process. The PC government created legislation to kill the project – without review of the facts, without public consultation, without the right of appeal, and without even providing notice to the developer. How unfair, how un-democratic.
d. People delayed this project using birds, turtles and heritage until they could get a new government to kill this project. The fact is that for 10 years, the project upheld every regulation, fulfilled every mandate, addressed and got through each challenge, complied with each change in requirements each additional regulation, each delay while putting processes in place to better the environment and its species at risk. The project was just a few months from “turning on the switch”. This new government, in power just a few months, obliterated years of a previous government’s work – without due process. This cancellation was rammed through legislation, did not allow for public comment and removed the right of appeal. It killed a perfectly viable project and left the tax papers paying the bill for a few people’s political gain. Shame on the PCs.
3. Waste of Tax payer dollars
a. Canceling the fully permitted White Pines Wind Project will be wasting millions of tax payer dollars with nothing to show for it. The project has been in development for 10 years following all consultation and approval requirements and the developer has to be compensated for their costs.
b. How can the government justify to the taxpayer or the ratepayer, the cost of gas plan 2.0 (killing of the White Pines Wind project).
4. Disingenuous “Open for Business”
a. If the province is really “open for business” they will reconsider their decision to rescind the White Pines Wind Project. The government’s decision to cancel the project has had a negative impact on investment in Ontario, particularly from European investment. Alternatively, perhaps the government should add asterisks to their Highways signs promoting Ontario as being “Open for Business” and add “Warning: Invest at your own risk. Contracted Projects, can be cancelled at any time.”
b. The government had introduced the “Open for business” Act, to attract more business and investment to Ontario. Which means more electricity will be needed to support these businesses, their air conditioners and their technologies. We’ll need more electricity to support consumer’s growing thirst for their products and/or for bigger cars, electric vehicles, TV’s, IPADs, etc. This is magnified with a warming climate that increases the need for air conditioners. How can the gov’t decrease our dependency on oil, reduce the use of Renewable Energy, and expect more investment here? It just doesn’t add up.
5. Bogus weapons.
a. Opponents used the birds, turtles or heritage as weapons against this project. They didn’t really care about the environment and the species at risk. If they did, we would see some efforts in the county dedicated to reducing mortality of these species such as such as lowering the speed limits during the turtle season, or contributing to programs that reduce mortality from predators and poaching. We would see building codes that reduce the mortality of birds from tall building and house collisions, which is incidentally, the third highest cause of bird deaths in Canada. Buildings are the cause of 15,000 times more deaths to birds than wind turbines could ever be). But the people, and the Ministry will go to great lengths to ensure the that less than 10 birds per turbine are killed per year.
6. Closing requirements for the project.
a. Speaking for several landowners on the Royal Road stretch, having the ditches reopened by hoe ramming, causing noise, dust, increased traffic and possibly vibration issues just to remove cable that had been buried, is a waste of time and resources, not to mention the detriment this will cause to the road, especially Royal Road.
b. Royal Road – this road has been in poor shape for many years, recently PEC announced it would resurface it after the construction was done. Now that this is delayed, PEC is again delaying this work, causing more degradation and possible vehicular incidents, and this can be directly blamed on the current government for canceling this project.
c. When comparing the originally approved decommissioning plan as submitted by the company to the Ministry as part of the REA, one has to question the reasoning behind the MOECP increasing the requirements from 9 pages to 25.
d. As per the requirement under 9.13 of the technical document posted under this proposed legislation to cancel the White Pines Wind Project, I, as a landowner, do not want the MOE to impose on my land the need for gates, I want unobstructed access to my own property.
Category 2: Points of Support for the Project.
1- Blanding’s Turtles:
• The project would have enhanced the Blanding Turtle population. wpd had committed to working with wildlife sustainability groups (Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre and/or Toronto Zoo) to incubate eggs found at the project site and rear hatchlings for 2 years. These conditions were proposed and accepted by the ERT. Cancellation of the project will have a negative impact on a species that is already at risk because the White Pines Wind Project will not be able to provide a counter measure to the causes of turtle mortality occurring in PEC (road mortality, poaching and predation).
or
• If the government really wanted to ensure the Blanding’s Turtles don’t become extinct, they would let White Pines move forward. If this project could proceed, White Pines would not only protect the turtles, it could likely increase the population of Blanding’s Turtles using egg protection and a 2 year Head Start program. Now, who will care for the turtles without White Pines?
• This was the only project in Ontario that was doing something to protect the Blanding’s Turtles (requirements of the REA number 2344-9R6RWR).
i. While none of the county speed limits were reduced during turtle season, wpd and their contractors posted and observed a 15km/hr speed limits throughout the White Pines Project construction sites.
ii. Throughout the entire Blanding’s Turtle season, monitors searched for turtles on the construction sites within turtle habitats.
iii. From Oct 15-Apr 15, no -in water works were performed. No construction of culverts, bridges, etc. were done to ensure that potential hibernating turtles were protected.
iiii. If a turtle was spotted, all activity stopped until the turtle was at least 30 m from any construction or maintenance activity.
v. No other construction of any kind, in PEC, observed these preventative measures to ensure survival of the turtles.
2. Species at Risk
• White Pines Wind Project had created 72 hectares of habitat for the Species at Risk birds. (Source: ESA permit PT-C-010-13. This region was planted in the fall of 2015 with 17 native grasses and 40 different flowering plants to support, attract and retain Eastern Meadowlark, Whip-poor-will, Bobolink. This Protection was a large contiguous swath of land, isolated from roads, construction, tall structures. This protection was revoked by Bill 2 and will be now be converted to other business uses.
Or
• Land set aside for Species at Risk habitat will no longer be funded and the land will return to other business uses.
• This Project would have also funded a 4 year research project plus a Master’s Thesis for better understanding and protection of Easter Whip-poor-will.
• The White Pines Wind Project educated more people on species at risk and how to protect them than any other project in the area and more than what even the Ministry does to educate folks. wpd alone trained 756 people on how to spot, recognize, report and protect BT, Eastern Meadowlark, Whip-poor-will, Bobolink. Source: wpd.
1. As a local landowner, as a local resident, I have never seen a Blanding’s Turtle in the area, even though much of the Project has been deemed habitat for the turtles. My land has been in our family for generations and these turtles have never been seen on our property, how can the MOE reasonably expect construction or closing of the project to only happen within a certain window of the year? Also, why do these rules only apply to the wind farm? No one complains when fields are tilled and planted during the turtle oviposition or spring foraging season, nor does anyone complain about cattle roaming through the wetlands where supposedly these turtles reside? Perhaps the MOE should actually consult the local landowners about where these turtles have been seen and modify the rules accordingly.
1- Blanding’s Turtles:
• The project would have enhanced the Blanding Turtle population. wpd had committed to working with wildlife sustainability groups (Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre and/or Toronto Zoo) to incubate eggs found at the project site and rear hatchlings for 2 years. These conditions were proposed and accepted by the ERT. Cancellation of the project will have a negative impact on a species that is already at risk because the White Pines Wind Project will not be able to provide a counter measure to the causes of turtle mortality occurring in PEC (road mortality, poaching and predation).
or
• If the government really wanted to ensure the Blanding’s Turtles don’t become extinct, they would let White Pines move forward. If this project could proceed, White Pines would not only protect the turtles, it could likely increase the population of Blanding’s Turtles using egg protection and a 2 year Head Start program. Now, who will care for the turtles without White Pines?
• This was the only project in Ontario that was doing something to protect the Blanding’s Turtles (requirements of the REA number 2344-9R6RWR).
i. While none of the county speed limits were reduced during turtle season, wpd and their contractors posted and observed a 15km/hr speed limits throughout the White Pines Project construction sites.
ii. Throughout the entire Blanding’s Turtle season, monitors searched for turtles on the construction sites within turtle habitats.
iii. From Oct 15-Apr 15, no -in water works were performed. No construction of culverts, bridges, etc. were done to ensure that potential hibernating turtles were protected.
iiii. If a turtle was spotted, all activity stopped until the turtle was at least 30 m from any construction or maintenance activity.
v. No other construction of any kind, in PEC, observed these preventative measures to ensure survival of the turtles.
2. Species at Risk
• White Pines Wind Project had created 72 hectares of habitat for the Species at Risk birds. (Source: ESA permit PT-C-010-13. This region was planted in the fall of 2015 with 17 native grasses and 40 different flowering plants to support, attract and retain Eastern Meadowlark, Whip-poor-will, Bobolink. This Protection was a large contiguous swath of land, isolated from roads, construction, tall structures. This protection was revoked by Bill 2 and will be now be converted to other business uses.
Or
• Land set aside for Species at Risk habitat will no longer be funded and the land will return to other business uses.
• This Project would have also funded a 4 year research project plus a Master’s Thesis for better understanding and protection of Easter Whip-poor-will.
• The White Pines Wind Project educated more people on species at risk and how to protect them than any other project in the area and more than what even the Ministry does to educate folks. wpd alone trained 756 people on how to spot, recognize, report and protect BT, Eastern Meadowlark, Whip-poor-will, Bobolink. Source: wpd.
1. As a local landowner, as a local resident, I have never seen a Blanding’s Turtle in the area, even though much of the Project has been deemed habitat for the turtles. My land has been in our family for generations and these turtles have never been seen on our property, how can the MOE reasonably expect construction or closing of the project to only happen within a certain window of the year? Also, why do these rules only apply to the wind farm? No one complains when fields are tilled and planted during the turtle oviposition or spring foraging season, nor does anyone complain about cattle roaming through the wetlands where supposedly these turtles reside? Perhaps the MOE should actually consult the local landowners about where these turtles have been seen and modify the rules accordingly.
3. Wind Power -Environmentally sound
• No one has solved the problem of the Radioactive waste from nuclear power generation
• No one has solved climate change accelerated by fossil fuel power generation. The government should be killing technologies that poison our waterways, cause climate change, and leave us with 30,000 years of radioactive waste instead of killing the only forms of energy that keep the public safe from these hazards
• Wind power KEEPS AIR CLEANER compared to generating electricity using fossil fuels.
• Wind Power - NO greenhouse gasses (GHGs)
• Wind Power - NO air pollution
• Wind Power - NO freshwater needed to generate electricity
• Wind Power - NO Radioactive waste.
Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/affordable-power/
• No one has solved the problem of the Radioactive waste from nuclear power generation
• No one has solved climate change accelerated by fossil fuel power generation. The government should be killing technologies that poison our waterways, cause climate change, and leave us with 30,000 years of radioactive waste instead of killing the only forms of energy that keep the public safe from these hazards
• Wind power KEEPS AIR CLEANER compared to generating electricity using fossil fuels.
• Wind Power - NO greenhouse gasses (GHGs)
• Wind Power - NO air pollution
• Wind Power - NO freshwater needed to generate electricity
• Wind Power - NO Radioactive waste.
Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/affordable-power/
4. Cost of Energy
• Renewable Energy has been used as a scapegoat for high energy prices. It doesn’t even make sense. All of the renewables combined contributed to 6 % of the total electricity needed in the Province. There is no way that less than 10% of Ontario’s energy mix could cause the increases that we were seeing. So, Ontarians will continue to see high costs of Energy and will still loose out on Renewable Energy Benefits. Source: power Advisory LLC.
• Wind is responsible for 6% of the cost of a typical electricity bill. The biggest charge on electricity bills is delivery cost, at 31%: this covers the cost for the badly needed upgrades to the transmission and distribution systems (the poles and wires); the cost the province incurred in the early 2000’s to bring the Bruce nuclear units online, and the high cost to deliver electricity to rural and remote communities. The province’s main source of electricity generation is nuclear – it supplies 53.5% of our power – and because of the sheer volume of nuclear power we use, it makes up the largest electricity expense (24%).
• It seems like Doug Ford and Todd Smith were really ill-informed about the facts. They claimed the reason for cancellation was the 18 cents/kw. Really? The project was contracted for 13.5 cents/kw. That was for a 20 year contract. That was for everything… that was to cover all construction costs, capital costs, environmental costs, etc. Unlike other forms of generation, Renewable Energy projects don’t have subsidies and they don’t have any recourse or provision to go back to the rate payers for additional funds later. This was intended to show the true cost of energy and to stabilize the rates over the long term.
• Wind energy is now the lowest-cost option for new electricity generation in Canada. Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/affordable-power/
5. Social and Economic Benefits
• Prince Edward County has one of the oldest demographics in the province and is in desperate need of economic investment to attract young workers. This White Pines project would have provided jobs and millions of investment into a community that desperately needs it. This has now all been wasted
• White Pines was bringing new municipal tax revenues and stable income for farmers, farmers who have worked this land for generations. It was bringing opportunities for local trades-people and contractors and direct investment in materials and services. It was bringing an infusion of dollars to local businesses. It had a Community Benefits Program / Community Vibrancy Funds to assist the community. All this is gone under Bill 2.
Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/social-economic-benefits/
6. Do we really have enough energy?
• IESO has forecasted a shortfall in energy for Ontario.
i. If you want the link -https://www.linkedin.com/…/ontario-facing-energy-shortfall…/
• It takes years to build new electricity generating facilities. Within 5 years, there will be a shortage, according to the IESO. (the shortage is expected to begin as early as early 2020, according to IESO’s Supply and Demand Outlook (20017-2035). We’ll be buying electricity at a premium by 2023. Ditching renewable energy projects is short-sited. It’s just a political ploy to “save money” now only to be straddled the public with greater costs later.
• How sure are we that the Long-Term Energy Plan isn’t greatly underestimating how climate change could affect the long-term demand for electricity, especially when the effects of climate change continue to grow more extreme with each passing year? This means shortfalls could be sooner and last longer. It also means that “emergency energy” will be even more costly.
7. Safe Form of Energy
• Wind is safe from of electrify generation, Wind is installed everywhere around the world. More and more folks are realizing that this is a healthier, more sustainable form of energy creation. Why are we going backwards? With wind power, there are no green house gases, no wasted freshwater, no radioactive waste.
• There are approximately 300,000 turbines installed globally. If there was a health problem with wind energy, we would surely have a lot of documented medical cases by now.
• The human experience is supported by at least 25 studies, including one from this very Province, and a growing number of scientific, medical & acoustical experts stating that there isn’t a link shown between exposure to wind turbine noise and harm to human health. *2014 Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study from Health Canada
8. Climate Change
• This project, in its original REA application, consisted of 29 turbines. That would have produced enough electricity to power approximately 9,683 homes each year, or about 3,005 homes with the 9 turbine project. Think of it as loosing the fight against climate change by nearly 200,000 homes (if the full 29 turbine project had run for 20 years), or more than 60 thousand homes (for a 9 turbine project). Yes, these home “equivalents” will be spewing more green house gases into the atmosphere or increasing the pile of radioactive waste over the next 20 years.
• Renewable Energy has been used as a scapegoat for high energy prices. It doesn’t even make sense. All of the renewables combined contributed to 6 % of the total electricity needed in the Province. There is no way that less than 10% of Ontario’s energy mix could cause the increases that we were seeing. So, Ontarians will continue to see high costs of Energy and will still loose out on Renewable Energy Benefits. Source: power Advisory LLC.
• Wind is responsible for 6% of the cost of a typical electricity bill. The biggest charge on electricity bills is delivery cost, at 31%: this covers the cost for the badly needed upgrades to the transmission and distribution systems (the poles and wires); the cost the province incurred in the early 2000’s to bring the Bruce nuclear units online, and the high cost to deliver electricity to rural and remote communities. The province’s main source of electricity generation is nuclear – it supplies 53.5% of our power – and because of the sheer volume of nuclear power we use, it makes up the largest electricity expense (24%).
• It seems like Doug Ford and Todd Smith were really ill-informed about the facts. They claimed the reason for cancellation was the 18 cents/kw. Really? The project was contracted for 13.5 cents/kw. That was for a 20 year contract. That was for everything… that was to cover all construction costs, capital costs, environmental costs, etc. Unlike other forms of generation, Renewable Energy projects don’t have subsidies and they don’t have any recourse or provision to go back to the rate payers for additional funds later. This was intended to show the true cost of energy and to stabilize the rates over the long term.
• Wind energy is now the lowest-cost option for new electricity generation in Canada. Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/affordable-power/
5. Social and Economic Benefits
• Prince Edward County has one of the oldest demographics in the province and is in desperate need of economic investment to attract young workers. This White Pines project would have provided jobs and millions of investment into a community that desperately needs it. This has now all been wasted
• White Pines was bringing new municipal tax revenues and stable income for farmers, farmers who have worked this land for generations. It was bringing opportunities for local trades-people and contractors and direct investment in materials and services. It was bringing an infusion of dollars to local businesses. It had a Community Benefits Program / Community Vibrancy Funds to assist the community. All this is gone under Bill 2.
Source: https://canwea.ca/wind-facts/social-economic-benefits/
6. Do we really have enough energy?
• IESO has forecasted a shortfall in energy for Ontario.
i. If you want the link -https://www.linkedin.com/…/ontario-facing-energy-shortfall…/
• It takes years to build new electricity generating facilities. Within 5 years, there will be a shortage, according to the IESO. (the shortage is expected to begin as early as early 2020, according to IESO’s Supply and Demand Outlook (20017-2035). We’ll be buying electricity at a premium by 2023. Ditching renewable energy projects is short-sited. It’s just a political ploy to “save money” now only to be straddled the public with greater costs later.
• How sure are we that the Long-Term Energy Plan isn’t greatly underestimating how climate change could affect the long-term demand for electricity, especially when the effects of climate change continue to grow more extreme with each passing year? This means shortfalls could be sooner and last longer. It also means that “emergency energy” will be even more costly.
7. Safe Form of Energy
• Wind is safe from of electrify generation, Wind is installed everywhere around the world. More and more folks are realizing that this is a healthier, more sustainable form of energy creation. Why are we going backwards? With wind power, there are no green house gases, no wasted freshwater, no radioactive waste.
• There are approximately 300,000 turbines installed globally. If there was a health problem with wind energy, we would surely have a lot of documented medical cases by now.
• The human experience is supported by at least 25 studies, including one from this very Province, and a growing number of scientific, medical & acoustical experts stating that there isn’t a link shown between exposure to wind turbine noise and harm to human health. *2014 Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study from Health Canada
8. Climate Change
• This project, in its original REA application, consisted of 29 turbines. That would have produced enough electricity to power approximately 9,683 homes each year, or about 3,005 homes with the 9 turbine project. Think of it as loosing the fight against climate change by nearly 200,000 homes (if the full 29 turbine project had run for 20 years), or more than 60 thousand homes (for a 9 turbine project). Yes, these home “equivalents” will be spewing more green house gases into the atmosphere or increasing the pile of radioactive waste over the next 20 years.
To file a comment Electronically:
Search google for “EBR White Pines” and select “Regulation Proposal Notice-Environmental Registry”, select the “Read this proposal” link, click the Submit a Comment button. You can choose to sign in, register for an account or submit a comment anonymously.
Or click:
https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-3835
Follow the instructions.
Follow the instructions.
To submit a comment by mail or phone:
Zeljko Romic
Senior Program Support Coordinator
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Environmental Assessment and Permissions Division
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St. Clair avenue West
1st Floor
Toronto Ontario
M4V 1P5
Phone: (416) 314-8204https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-3835?fbclid=IwAR3O7Uzy64oXs369OP7Zbhu3QZrfs4xoiBRZt6J4NLj8egGdxMle3Mc_bK0
Senior Program Support Coordinator
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Environmental Assessment and Permissions Division
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St. Clair avenue West
1st Floor
Toronto Ontario
M4V 1P5
Phone: (416) 314-8204https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-3835?fbclid=IwAR3O7Uzy64oXs369OP7Zbhu3QZrfs4xoiBRZt6J4NLj8egGdxMle3Mc_bK0
