By Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer
Health Canada’s decision to conduct a study to evaluate the relationship between wind turbine noise and potential health effects comes too late, says a Lambton County wind energy opponent. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Tuesday the federal government wants to look at health effects reported by people living near wind power developments.
“The study is in response to questions from residents living near wind farms about possible health effects of low frequency noise generated by wind turbines,” Aglukkaq said.
The study will focus, initially, on a sample size of 2,000 homes picked from eight to 12 locations in Canada. The results are expected in 2014.
“There’s our problem right there,” said Marcelle Brooks, a member of the Middlesex-Lambton Wind Action Group. “Most of these projects are going to be up and running within the next year, to year and a half.”
Her group opposes a 92-turbine Jericho Wind Energy Centre NextEra Energy plans to build in Lambton Shores and Warwick Township. The company is holding a public meeting July 17, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Centennial Hall in Watford.
“That’s a real problem for us,” Brooks said about the federal study’s timing, but she added it will be “a step in the right direction, as long as it’s an independent survey and they really do look honestly at this issue.” Read article
While any study should be welcome as ammunition in the fight, I am not enthusiastic about this development for a couple of reasons. There is no lack of evidence and studies available now showing the adverse effects of wind turbines, McGuinty chooses to ignore them. The work of Carmen Krogh and Dr, McMurtry and others have been available for years. There is no reason to believe McGuinty would listen to a federal health study. Energy and resources and health for that matter, are strictly provincial jurisdictions.
The study is planned for release in 2014, and could be later, far to late for many Ont projects. By that date McGuinty most likely will be long gone from Ont politics; his plan is to have the major projects up and running, or under construction before then, so that no successor can easily cancel them.
The call for a moratorium while the study is completed will not move the Liberals, the largest projects have already been approved and too much money is at stake.
Martin , you couldn’t have decribed the truth any better….
One reason this announcement is coming out now is to make the uneducated masses feel relieved, meanwhile they ram the turbines in the ground and deal with any study if at all – later.
The only credibility Heath Canada can have is to halt everything absolute now, till the damn studies are completed..
And they have absolutely no authority to do that, this is an ONTARIO fight.
Im hoping they will lift all the Gag orders in order to get the real facts, we need to make sure this happens or its once again going to be a half truth.