Ontario wind farm health effects

MOE pledges ongoing research on turbines, health
Thursday November 19 2009
By Richard Vivian


SPECIAL REPORT:
Conclusion of the three-part series

Provincial plans to create a streamlined approval process for
renewable energy projects have been met with a bevy of objections —
from proponents, municipal leaders, and those who believe wind
turbines negatively impact human health — and a court challenge.

The government introduced its Green Energy Act earlier this year.
Officials tout it as a means of creating “green” jobs and helping the
government live up to its oft-delayed promise of eliminating
coal-fired power plants.

Many stakeholders, however, aren’t entirely pleased with what’s on the table.

Wind energy proponents feel it takes away their flexibility in placing
turbines; municipal councils abhor losing their ability to negotiate
with project owners; and some people feel the act doesn’t go far
enough to protect residents.

Perhaps the most significant hot-button issue is the 550-metre minimum
separation between renewable energy projects and residences..
Previously, host municipalities are responsible for negotiating
setbacks using their planning authority, which can be — and, in some
cases, has been — overruled by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

“It’s inadequate. We have evidence people living as far away as 1,500
metres are experiencing serious side effects from wind turbines,”
insists Beth Harrington of Wind Concerns Ontario, a grassroots
organization formed to raise the profile of reported health impacts
associated with industrial wind turbines. “It’s very serious what’s
going on.”

Some people who live near turbines, including several in Dufferin, say
they suffer headaches, fatigue, a ringing in the ears and more. No one
contacted by The Banner has documented evidence to draw a direct
connection between their symptoms and the turbines, but they say the
symptoms didn’t appear until the turbines were turned on.

An application was filed Oct. 19 seeking a judicial review of the Act
based on the precautionary principal, which suggests if something
can’t be proven safe, it shouldn’t be used.

The application, filed by a Prince Edward County man, claims there is
more than sufficient uncertainty surrounding wind development for the
court to strike down portions of the legislation until “proper” health
studies are conducted.

“The actions of this government have turned the precautionary
principle on its head,” says Dr. Robert McMurtry, former dean of
medicine at the University of Western Ontario, who has repeatedly
asked the provincial government to stop approving wind power projects
until a full epidemiological study has been completed.

“People are leaving their homes. Some people have had to be admitted
to hospital with hypertensive episodes,” McMurtry says.

“All the victims have one thing in common. When they go back home, or
near the wind farms, they’re worse and when they get away, they’re
better.”

Canadian Hydro Developers, which operates a 133-turbine wind farm in
the county, acknowledges it purchased the homes of at least two
residents who reported health problems related to the turbines;
however, the majority of residents around the turbines have not
reported any health problems or filed noise complaints.

“We did a jurisdictional comparison of what other countries in Europe
are doing and what they’re doing in the [United] States,” Kate Jordan,
Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson says of how the
550-metre setback was determined. “We based that framework both on
that jurisdictional scan and the science and the modelling work that
our staff did here.

“That is a protective and progressive approach that we have taken.”

Previously, setbacks were largely determined based on the MOE noise
guideline — a 40-decibel limit at the point of reception.

“We felt that was a very evidence-based process in terms of
determining setbacks. ... We have expressed concern [with the Green
Energy Act] because it does seem somewhat arbitrary, the selection of
the number,” says Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind
Energy Association (CanWEA).

“We feel we’ve actually had a very effective regulatory framework in
Ontario that has helped to determine setbacks. The use of that has
determined that some turbines can be built closer than 550 metres and
some turbines cannot be built that close and have to be built further
away,” he says, noting setbacks across the province “generally” range
between 400 and 700 metres.
Municipalities across the province passed resolutions opposing the
Act’s setbacks, including many local communities.

Conscious of reported negative health impacts, the province will fund
an academic research chair to keep on top of the latest science and
technology associated with renewable energy projects, especially wind
turbines, explains Jordan.

“That chair’s role will be to research potential public health effects
of renewable energy projects as new information and new science
emerges. That will ensure that our approvals continue to be protective
of public health and the environment. That work will be ongoing,” she
says.

“There are more details to come on that this fall. We’re just looking
at the options right now for establishing the chair.”

Currently, the MOE doesn’t have any regulatory standards regarding
low-frequency noise — something the chair will be charged with
considering. Any recommendations brought forward by the chair are to
be reviewed by ministry staff for potential implementation.

“We intend to participate in the public process, as well as respond to
the various ministries involved,” Harrington says in reference to the
research chair’s work. “We don’t think the government should proceed
any further until these things have been looked into very closely.”

At 550, the new provincial setback is 100 metres farther than exists
today in Amaranth and part of Melancthon, home to Canadian Hydro’s
EcoPower Centre. Amaranth Mayor Don MacIver believes the increased
separation is a step in the right direction, but he questions whether
it’s enough.

“We’ve had quite a bit of concern over the current wind farm — the
transformer noise and the turbine noise,” he says.

“What I see with the Green Energy Act ... it’s going to open up the
township to a lot more wind turbine development in all sorts of
different areas. And we won’t have any power to help make
adjustments,” the mayor adds.

Through the act, a one-stop shop for renewable energy projects will be
created to help initiatives get off the ground more quickly. As part
of that streamlined process, several regulatory processes have been
amalgamated.

In doing so, the province has taken away municipal involvement.
Planning approvals, environmental assessments, certificates of
approval and other authorizations are now handled by a single
provincial body.

“We fought for everything to try to protect residents,” MacIver says,
referring to an OMB challenge initiated by Canadian Hydro. “The Green
Energy Act takes that away. Our issue was always proper planning —
that any development that comes into the town is subject to proper
planning. It’s not a question of whether you like turbines or not,
it’s a question ... of planning it and putting it in properly.”