Mike Crawley, President, International Power Canada (IPR-GDF Suez) is also recently elected President of the Federal Liberal Party. To date, this company has refused to help any of the residents who are seriously suffering in the Erie Shores complex.
Letter from Resident of the Lake Erie Shores Wind Facility: Continue reading
Tag Archives: Conflict of Interest
Do you agree?
(Reprint from 2009)
The dire need to stop global warming with an aggressive renewable energy plan for Ontario outstrips potential damage to sensitive environmental areas, says Marion Fraser, a founding member of the Green Energy Act Alliance. The Sarnia Observer
Continue reading
Federal Fisheries Minister’s son-in-law gets $10-20 million for a Wind Project
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea
Also read: Shea Caught Up in Turbine Conflict
By STEPHEN MAHER Ottawa Bureau The Chronicle Herald
OTTAWA — Federal ethics commissioner Mary Dawson appears to have invented a secret bureaucratic process to avoid posting public disclosure statements by ministers who are in conflicts of interest, say the Liberal and NDP ethics critics and a government watchdog group. Continue reading
Wind farm research found to have critical flaws
The Sun Times, www.owensoundsuntimes.com
Unfortunately the research cited by Mr Robert Knox (“Some find turbines annoying but most don’t” — Feb. 5) is an industry-funded report. It was reviewed in Britain by the National Health Service (NHS) and found to have critical flaws: “methodological shortcomings”, and the fact that “the reviewing group did not include an epidemiologist.”
“Further research is needed,” it concluded. Why was clinical research of victims not carried out? How can an industry give itself a clean bill of health? The tobacco corporations used to put out reports verified by MDs that cigarettes were not a problem. Continue reading
John “Conflict of Interest” Gerretsen’s Efficiency Numbers are Misleading
Credit: By Paul Schliesmann, The Whig Standard
A retired Queen’s University physics professor says wind farms don’t live up to the hype generated by energy companies and governments.
John Harrison says that for the final six months of 2009, the Wolfe Island wind farm operated at about one-quarter efficiency.
It’s misleading, Harrison said, for Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen and Trans -Alta, the company that recently bought the wind farm, to claim that the 86 turbines power 75,000 homes. Continue reading
Governed by the ill wind of deception
This weekend it was revealed that a report commissioned by a government department into the noise made by wind turbines and the effect on those who live near them had been quietly doctored……And what of the other reports into noise, effects on wildlife and so on? Were they streamlined, too?.
With Wind Energy, Opportunity for Corruption
By DOREEN CARVAJAL New York Times
The authorities say it is impossible to quantify the level of fraud in public spending on wind energy because investigations are scattered across different countries among the regional and fiscal police. But critics say the available riches and patchy controls are luring a rogue’s gallery of corrupt politicians and entrepreneurs trying to literally create money out of thin air.
Government Suppresses Noise Protection Expert Advice
- Commentary in full
- ICO findings
- Released draft HMP reports; click on: Draft 1; Draft 2; Draft 3
- The released emails
With the deluge of complaints, is the same thing happening in Ontario?
Jane and Julian Davis had to abandon their home
Jonathan Leake and Harry Byford Times Online
Civil servants have suppressed warnings that wind turbines can generate noise damaging people’s health for several square miles around.
The guidance from consultants indicated that the sound level permitted from spinning blades and gearboxes had been set so high — 43 decibels — that local people could be disturbed whenever the wind blew hard. The noise was also thought likely to disrupt sleep.
The report said the best way to protect locals was to cut the maximum permitted noise to 38 decibels, or 33 decibels if the machines created discernible “beating” noises as they spun.
It has now emerged that officials removed the warnings from the draft report in 2006 by Hayes McKenzie Partnership (HMP), the consultants. The final version made no mention of them.
It means that hundreds of turbines at wind farms in Britain have been allowed to generate much higher levels of noise, sparking protests from people living near them. Continue reading
Nextera Hired Goons: Holding a Sign? That’s Jail Time!
…The ‘cops for hire wearing West Grey Police Force uniforms’ pounced. They told me I could not bring signs into that room. I was taken aback by this and said ” You are kidding, right?”
“NO”, they said, “YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOSE HERE. YOU HAVE TO LEAVE.” Startled, I backed up, held the signs up and told a friend that ‘they told me I can’t even have these signs here!’ (Another in attendance noted that the signs were not on sticks being waved about; that I was not threatening anyone with them, just in case you are wondering…..)
In a flash the two cops possibly weighing a combined 580 lbs., each had one of my arms so that I couldn’t move at all, were forcibly ripping the signs from my hands and telling me that if I resisted I would be put in jail. They repeated that I would be put in jail if I resisted. Some advice from the sixties floated into mind….go limp….go limp, so I did!
I don’t have time to be in jail for holding four ‘Health Studies BEFORE Wind Turbines’ signs in a Nextera wind company Open House! Christmas is coming! I’m not ready yet!
In an extremely surreal moment, there I was, 5’1″, 52 year-old woman; a Mom who homeschooled one child, ran another to piano and flute lessons weekly, dedicated county nursing home employee for over a decade, advocate for health and safety re industrial wind turbines for rural families, being dragged out of the Durham Community Center by two towering ‘strongarms’ because I had four signs in my hand. My shoulders still hurt today. Continue reading
Another Backroom Deal?
Toronto Sun 
The government needs to explain why it would agree to pay a private company nearly three times what it pays publicly owned Ontario Power Generation for hydro electricity, the official opposition demanded yesterday.
“Why would your government be willing to pay a private power producer up to 8 cents a kilowatt hour, causing ever-increasing power prices to our consumers, when our regulated power provider, Ontario Power Generation, only receives 3.2 cents per kilowatt hour for their regulated hydraulic resources? Why?” Progressive Conservative energy critic John Yakabuski said during question period. Continue reading
CanWEA Lobbyists Dismiss Impacts on Ontario Citizens
Wolfe Island wind turbine project should serve as a warning
With all the letters and editorials this summer in the Watertown Daily Times regarding the Wolfe Island wind project, (at least two or three a week), it’s surprising that there has been so little about this subject in the Whig-Standard. Do the people of Kingston and area enjoy the new scenery with the flashing red lights, or do they care? Maybe those who care have just given up on the process. “They’re going to put them up anyway” has become the attitude.One of the most beautiful areas of the North American continent has become the target for wind turbine projects put up by giant international corporations that, if they have their way, plan to fill the entire Great Lakes basin with these industrial parks. Continue reading
The Day Democracy Died in Ontario
The Community Press – Hastings County
How many Ontarians are aware that democracy died in Ontario on May 14 this year?
That is the date that Bill 150, the Ontario Green Energy and Green Economy Act 2009 received royal assent.
As of that day, property owners in Ontario lost their rights as municipalities lost their power to have any impact on green energy or green economy projects in their jurisdiction. In Part II, section 4 (2) of the act it states: Continue reading
$235,000 Trillium Money Goes Directly to Wind Developers
The Trillium Foundation disperses monies generated from Ontario Lottery Corporation….our scratch & win tickets, 649 tickets and casinos. The proceeds of that organization is supposed to go to community funding for hospitals, programs for youth, programs for homeless, and other charities that will assist the people of Ontario.
But who needs hospital equipment or children’s programs? Now it goes to McGuinty’s #1 passion – Wind Turbines.
First, Windy Hills Caledon was granted $150,000 from the Trillium fund. Now, $75,000 Trillium Award Granted to Aid Wind Developer . In fact, since 2002 the Ontario Trillium Foundation has granted OSEA over $1.4 million. OSEA now refuses to release their annual reports to the public.
Ontario Wind Industry Desperately Needs a Code of Ethics
New York Attorney General: Additional Companies Have Signed Wind Code Of Ethics
by North American WindPower Staff on Thursday 30 July 2009
New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that 16 companies representing the vast majority of wind energy activity in New York state have signed a Wind Industry Ethics Code, facilitating the development of renewable energy while helping assure that the industry is acting properly and within the law. Continue reading
Jim Vanden Hoek and the Wind Indu$try
“How are we going to bury this [$900 restaurant tab]?” Vanden Hoek asked the hapless official. To the mayor’s great relief, the OPG executive reached for the bill.
“Let me take care of that,” said the OPG suit. “I’ll just add it to your public debt.” (Laughter all around)
Telling Stories
Name Your Price, Mayor Vanden Hoek
Apparently, the Mayor of Wolfe Island, Jim VandenHoek ordered the “86 Hands” Art display quickly removed. This was done unceremoniously, under the cloak of darkness in the middle of the night. The stakes that held the hands were sloppily chopped off and left jutting out of the ground. Even the rock with “86” marked on it was taken away. Continue reading
Call for Gerretsen’s Resignation
The following ad appeared in the Kingston Whig Standard July 4th, 2009:
Marysville, Wolfe Island Photo courtesy Brian Little
Which Community Will Be Next, Courtesy of John Gerretsen?
Marysville, Wolfe Island Photo courtesy Brian Little
Ontarians are suffering serious health problems because industrial wind turbines are placed too close to homes.
You are responsible for this disgraceful state of affairs as Minister of the Environment. How could this have happened Mr. Gerretsen? Continue reading
All the key decisions were made behind closed doors, long before the so-called “public consultations” began
Lorrie Goldstein
Climate hysterics need to stop focusing on foolish criticism, beware of hot air pushers
Often, when climate hysterics and global warming alarmists don’t like what I write — but don’t know what they’re talking about and thus have nothing intelligent to say in response — they come back with what they think is their knock-out punch.
It’s always words to the effect of: “I hope you’re happy getting your blood money from the oil companies, Mr. Goldstein. How can you look at yourself in the mirror every morning? Don’t you care about your grandchildren? What happened to journalistic integrity?” Continue reading
Protestors Storm AIM PowerGen Meeting. Called a “Sham”
Protestors stormed the floor of the Plateau Wind Project Public Open House held at the Feversham Community Centre Monday night, demanding answers from representatives of AIM PowerGen Corporation (AIM) concerning the effects of the plan to construct wind turbines in the Grey Highlands. Continue reading
Protestors Demand Answers from AIM Powergen
“The wind people are feeling a little bit nervous tonight. They had three cops here. They were definitely nervous and you saw yourself when we asked them questions and they sort of disappeared and the meeting is going to be over early because of it,” said Anne Murray, who lives within 1.5 kilometres of a proposed turbine.
A public meeting about proposed wind turbines in Grey Highlands was briefly interrupted when a group of local landowners staged a protest and then began asking pointed questions of company officials.
AIM PowerGeneration, a wind energy development company that plans to build 18 wind turbines in Grey Highlands and nearby Melancthon Township, called Monday’s meeting to get public reaction to a visual impact assessment, which was required as part of the planning process for the project. Continue reading