The Editor:
Documents obtained by citizens’ groups opposed to industrial wind turbine developments in their communities through Freedom of Information requests show the Ministry of the Environment is deliberately ignoring Ontarians’ complaints regarding excessive turbine noise. Over 2,000 expressions of concern have not been answered, despite the Ministry’s obligation to address such concerns before issuing authorizations for these developments to proceed.
At Queen’s Park last week I addressed these concerns.
“It’s a habit of this government. The Environment Commissioner previously criticized the Ministry of Natural Resources for not posting permit decisions to the Environmental Registry, depriving people of their ability to appeal. With citizens’ complaints about wind turbine noise, the Ministry of the Environment figured they could get away with ignoring the very people in whose name they govern. I applaud Wind Concerns Ontario for their persistent and effective work against the development of large industrial wind and solar plants in unwilling communities.”
The controversy was the subject of several questions during Question Period.
I asked the Premier point-blank: will her government stop projects such as Nation Rise and Eastern Fields until these concerns are addressed? “The Minister of the Environment is either completely disconnected from the reality of community unease at large wind developments, or is wilfully distorting facts in his public statements. Over 2,000 complaints have gone unacknowledged and unanswered, yet he maintains there aren’t any. He has been caught – he should apologize, stop the projects, respect the citizens of this province and start doing his job by listening to them and addressing each and every complaint.”
Jim McDonell, MPP
Cornwall
