Tribunal concludes wpd approval should be revoked
The Environmental Review Tribunal is recommending the ministry approval of eight 500-foot wind turbines near two Clearview aerodromes be revoked.
John Wiggins, Gail and Kevin Elwood, Preserve Clearview and the municipalities of Clearview, Collingwood and the County of Simcoe appealed the approval of the wind turbines based on the grounds that the project would cause serious harm to human health because of the proximity to the aerodromes and serious and irreversible harm to plant life, animal life and the natural environment, specifically bats.
At this stage in the process the tribunal was making a decision about possible remedial steps that could see the Fairview Wind Project go ahead.
An August 16 ruling by Dirk VanderBent and Hugh Wilkins states, “…the approval holder has proposed an amendment to the Renewable Energy Approval to include additional curtailment measures designed to reduce little brown myotis (bat) mortalities. The tribunal finds that these additional measures, provided they are amended to require that they be implemented from sunset to sunrise, is likely to significantly reduce little brown myotis mortality over the life of the project. However, as neither the approval holder nor the director has proposed effective means to mitigate the serious harm to human health, as found by the tribunal in its October 2016 Order, the tribunal concludes that the decision of the director should be revoked. As such, an amendment to the REA to address harm to little brown myotis via an amended mitigation plan is rendered unnecessary.”
“This is welcoming news for Clearview Township. The municipality has invested significant time and resources into fighting the wpd Canada Fairview Wind Turbine Project, and although we respect the process, it’s great to have a final decision,” said Mayor Christopher Vanderkruys in a media release. “The decision by the ERT to revoke the approval will be very beneficial for both the Collingwood Regional Airport and the proposed Clearview Aviation Business Park. It has been a long fight, but we have managed to preserve our landscape and ensure viable operation for both the airport and proposed development which will create valuable economic impact for Clearview Township as well as the County of Simcoe.”
Clearview Township has spent more than $100,000 in legal fees fighting the erection of the turbines.
