Clearview prepares for wpd court battle

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Parties involved in the fight against industrial wind turbines near the Collingwood Regional Airport are working toward a deadline.

Clearview Township is among those preparing to defend the position that some of the wind turbines proposed by wpd would have an adverse economic impact on the Collingwood Regional Airport and an aviation related development adjacent to the airport.

“It’s a real mess, this could be disastrous. Our biggest concern is the development plan for the airport,” said Clearview Township Deputy Mayor Barry Burton.

People have been protesting wpd’s proposal since 2010. Clearview has already declared itself an unwilling host.

“There are lots of municipalities out there who would gladly be hosts,” said Burton.

The main defence against the wind farm, and the most tangible one, is the economic threat the wind turbines pose toward not only the township, but the region as a whole.

The airport is owned by the Town of Collingwood but is located in Clearview Township.

Both municipalities and the proponents of the Clearview Aviation Commerce Centre, along with other residents, are in opposition to the wind turbines proposed by wpd.

In October, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change told wpd that, as part of an ongoing technical review of the wpd Fairview Wind Project application, it has concerns about the potential economic impacts on the airport. The concern is based on Transport Canada’s indication that if the turbines were installed, it would be necessary to raise the limits of the instrument approach procedures, which may impact the operation of the airport.

Wpd is proposing to erect four of its eight 150-metre-high turbines within the airport’s “obstacle limitation surface,” a theoretical circle around the facility that is 45 metres off the ground and eight kilometres in diameter. The closest turbine site to the airport is 3.1 kilometres from the end of the runway.

The Ministry said that wpd was required to complete an analysis of the economic impact of the project and how changes in operations at the airport could impact future planned expansion.

The requirement prompted wpd to ask for a divisional court hearing to force a decision from the Ministry.

A court date has been set for Dec. 18 and Clearview is seeking party status so they can be involved in the court proceedings.

Clearview council discussed the issue in closed session Nov. 9. That same night, council also agreed to do its own economic impact analysis and present it to the judge. Clearview council voted to retain Malone Given Parsons to conduct the analysis but no dollar figure was attached in the information that council disclosed to the public.

Collingwood council is also requesting involvement in the proceeding and is retaining the same firm to do an impact analysis.

Clearview councillor Thom Paterson said the two municipalities are talking, with the intention of working together and sharing costs.

“My hope is that with the agreement to work together on the study and efforts with Collingwood to seek common ground in our representation during the hearing that we present a much stronger voice in opposition to wpd from the point of view of the negative impact that the industrial wind turbines will have on our airport and on economic development in the area in general,” said Paterson.

This past Monday (Nov. 16) Collingwood council voted to have discussions with the legal counsel representing Clearview Township and the Clearview Aviation Commerce Centre “to recognize common grounds with respect to legal matters with wpd Canada” and that the CAO and mayor engage with the assistant deputy minister of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change regarding the airport’s concern with the wind farm.

Collingwood council, following an in-camera discussion, did not support a recommendation from the Collingwood Airport Services Board to provide a letter of intent to Clearview Aviation Commerce Centre to develop an access agreement to the airport.

Those seeking party status in the upcoming hearing face a submission deadline of Dec. 11.

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