CROH Supports 3-Year Moratorium Effort
Written by Matt McAllister, Ogdensburg Journal Reporter | 
| 
| 
AUGUST 26, 2010
HAMMOND - The president of Concerned Residents of Hammond is putting her organization's support behind Save the River's request for a three-year moratorium on industrial wind development for the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. The Hammond group also supports the findings of the recently released report by expert ornithologists Gerald Smith and William Evans, which also suggests the need for a moratorium that allows time to study the avian and bat populations on both sides of the river, according to Concerned Residents President Mary D. Hamilton.
"Our group shares the concerns that wind development needs further examination to determine if it is 'right for our area', understanding that this alarm is based on data regarding the demise of a large number of bats and birds at the hands of the turbine blades turning on Wolfe Island. Bats perform a huge service to the human population as they are one of the first lines of defense against the mosquito-borne West Nile virus as well as Eastern Equine Encephalitis that is becoming a serious problem in areas just south of us in Oneida and Oswego counties where they are now spraying toxic chemicals to help control the outbreaks," Mrs. Hamilton said in a press release.
Green Party of Canada Seeks Epidemiological Study on Wind Turbines and Health
Written by Wind Concerns Ontario, windconcernsontario.wordpress.com | | |
By an online vote of 66.3% Green Party members passed the following resolution, supported by deputy leader Adriene Carr. ~Source
WHEREAS the Green Party of Canada recognizes the vast potential for wind energy in Canada;
WHEREAS the Green Party of Canada with the Canadian Wind Energy Association has set goals for Canadian wind energy generation;
Our view: Ensure Wind Projects Free of Conflicts
Written by Editorial, Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY | | |
AT ISSUE: Another layer of approval, whether by county or state, needed
August 23, 2010
It’s occurred in different corners of New York state, and now the question’s been raised in the Herkimer County town of Litchfield. Is it proper for gigantic wind turbines to be approved by towns whose own officials might stand to gain financially from the projects? If we are to uphold the principles of good government, then the answer must be “no.” But the scope of these projects and their potential impact on communities with only a few thousand residents means that final approval should be made not at the town level but at the county or even state level.
Town of Cape Vincent Wind Economics Committee Disagrees with Acciona FEIS on Property Value Impacts
Written by Jefferson Leaning Left Blog | | |
August 23, 2010
The Town of Cape Vincent Wind Economics Committee in a report of its "Initial Findings" says:
The committee has nearly completed its' findings, however the committee is unable to finalize our report prior to 7PM August 18, 2010 at which time the Planning Board has the option to act on the FEIS. Therefore, this report on initial findings is submitted to Supervisor Hirschey with courtesy copies to Councilman Marty Mason, Councilman Donald Mason, Councilman Brooks Bragdon and Councilman Mickey Orvis. It is request that Supervisor Hirschey forward this report to each member of the Town of Cape Vincent Planning Board. A final report is planned for submission that will include details to support initial findings.
Noise Detectives on the Prowl
Written by Richard Blackwell, The Globe and Mail | | |
August 23, 2010
A Toronto company hired by the Ontario government is probing for the ‘cold hard facts’ about health problems caused by the sounds emitted from wind turbines. A small Toronto company that designed the acoustics of many of Canada’s premier concert halls is now figuring out the best way to measure noise from wind turbines, a project that will have major implications for the country’s burgeoning wind power industry. Aercoustics Engineering Ltd., a 30-employee acoustical consulting firm, created the rich sounds of some of the classiest theatres in Canada – the new Four Seasons opera house and the Royal Conservatory of Music concert hall in Toronto, and Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, among many others.
Now Aercoustics has won a contract from the Ontario government to develop techniques for measuring the audible noise from wind turbines, and will deliver the results to the province this fall. There is no accepted procedure anywhere for measuring noise from turbines, Ontario officials say, so Aercoustics’ report could help set standards across the country and internationally. But the company is wading into what has become a controversial issue as wind farms sprout across Ontario and the rest of the country. While Ontario long ago set guidelines for the amount of noise turbines are allowed to emit, it has never had a consistent, formal method of measuring that noise.
Project Blows Winds of Change Through Town; Litchfield Residents Divided Amid Conflict Allegations
Written by Jennifer Bogdon, Utica Observer Dispatch | | |
August 21, 2010
LITCHFIELD — On a recent Tuesday night, more than 60 people flocked to a Litchfield Town Board meeting to talk about a proposed wind farm project.
Everywhere you turned, an argument was brewing. A wind company official was booed when he attempted to speak. One woman stormed out of the meeting after a family member asked her why she supports the project. And multiple residents called for the resignation of town Supervisor Wayne Casler, saying he stands to benefit as an employee of nearby Barrett Paving Materials that could be granted contracts if the project is approved.
“We’re a small town, a quiet town,” Councilman Jim Entwistle said. “Normally, there aren’t a lot of big issues like this to divide people. Now, it’s all about money and greed.”
Irondequoit Planning to Start Studying Wind Farms
Written by Steve Orr, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Staff Writer | | |
August 23, 2010
The Irondequoit Town Board may be the next local political body asked to come out in opposition to the proposal for wind farms in Lake Ontario, though two board members say they’ve got some learning to do first. The boards of shoreline towns on either side of Irondequoit — Webster and Greece — have passed resolutions in recent weeks expressing opposition to the New York Power Authority’s plan for offshore wind turbines. In addition, 12 Monroe County legislators have signed a resolution of opposition, though 17 others opted not to sign. Members of Great Lakes Concerned Citizens, which has been lobbying lawmakers all along the Lake Ontario shoreline, have said several times that Irondequoit is their next target.
Green Energy Act Means Ontario Hydro Prices ‘Going Up Like a Rocket’
Written by Tom Adams, Energy Consultant, Ottawa Citizen | | |
August 22, 2010
Electricity prices in Ontario are “going up like a rocket,” fuelled in part by the Ontario government’s Green Energy Act, says a longtime observer of the province’s energy scene. “You are going to get screwed, and it’s going to be painful,” said Tom Adams, a Toronto-based consultant and a former executive director of Energy Probe. “We’re talking about hundreds of dollars a year out of your pocketbook that didn’t need to happen. I’m livid about it. People should be outraged.”
Hydro Ottawa customers have already been hit with a double-digit increase this year, thanks to rate hikes approved May 1 by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) and the imposition of the harmonized sales tax July 1. A typical consumer in Ottawa who uses 800 kilowatt hours of electricity now pays $116.82 a month, including tax, according to the OEB. That’s 17.7 per cent more than the $99.35 a month the same residential customer was paying in April. Half the increase is due to higher rates and half because of the HST.
