From the editor:
We need more men and women with the backbone and conviction of Councilor
Barry Millian
I got involved with the wind farm issue in Oct. 2006. The Kingsbridge l wind farm started operation in the spring of that year in the Twp. of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh. I had no intention of getting involved. I did like a lot of others, I drove by the wind farm in Oct. and my first reaction was that it didn’t directly affect me so don’t worry about it. What made me stop at several farms to see how the people were dealing with the wind farm, I’m not entirely sure. What I found was good honest people, that have been lied to and have had both their lives and property values ruined.
Epcor who built the Kingsbridge l wanted to build Kingsbridge ll even though there were many problems with No. l. The council wanted to give the go ahead with no regard for the people who were already experiencing problems.
I and several others trying to find the truth about wind farms were told by frustrated residents from ACW to contact Councilor Barry Millian. We were told that he was the only one who seemed interested in making sure the residents were protected from adverse effects that might be caused by putting the turbines too close to homes.
We sent Mr. Millian volumes of information on the subject of which he studied. The G.P. van den Berg: “Effects of the wind profile at night is one paper he paid close attention too and it showed why the people living near the wind farm were having problems sleeping at night.
Councilor Millian who under intense pressure to allow Kingsbridge ll to proceed, stood his ground and convinced the council to wait until they got an answer from the ministry with regards to the G.P. van den Berg Report.
They were promised an answer by the end of Feb. 2007. They still do not have an answer to date. It is now promised sometime in Oct., after the Provincial election.
If the govt. acknowledges the G.P. van den Berg Report they will not be able to put the turbines as close to homes as they are.
It appears the govt. is sitting on the report trying to put through as many wind farms as they can before they get caught.
The OMB hearings are a farce when the govt. is withholding information that would force the turbines to be much further from homes.
Was the Enbridge 110 turbine wind farm near Kincardine passed because information was withheld by the govt.?
I asked Marie LeGrow, senior project coordinator for the MOE, how they could go ahead with the OMB hearing for the Enbridge wind farm when they hadn’t completed the study on the G.P. van den Berg Report. I was told that because the Enbridge wind farm was already in process, the report regardless of the outcome, would not affect the Enbridge project
Below is the story from The Goderich Signal-Star
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Twp. council will not pass its new comprehensive zoning bylaw until the Ministry of Environment responds to the township’s concerns about wind turbines.
At the Aug. 21 meeting, council was to set a date to review comments and changes to the comprehensive zoning bylaw with the planning department. However, Counc. Barry Millian said council should not rush passing the bylaw until the township gets answers back from the ministry following their meeting on July 30 at the Huron County council chambers.
“The minister said she will get back to us in October and we’ve waited this long, why not wait another month?” asked Millian.
Township resident Harry Kerr said the wind turbines neighbouring his property are more than 800 metres away but “damn noisy”.
“The 400 metre setback is not enough,” said Kerr.
Millian urged all council members to study the reports on the wind turbines.
“Nobody is going to disagree with the Ontario government saying that there is a need for renewable energy but we don’t know anything about it and the government just wants us to do it,” said Millian. “We can’t talk to anyone in Ontario about this because it’s new and no one knows anything about it and I challenge anyone in this room to argue with me about this.”
Council agreed to wait for the minister’s response.
By Sara Bender
The Goderich Signal-Star
5 September 2007
We need more men and women with the backbone and conviction of Councilor
Barry Millian
You’re a good man