Slap in the face

Province approves 27 more turbines in South Marysburgh

The province has granted industrial wind developer wpd Canada approval to proceed with the construction of 27 wind turbines on a swath of land stretching south from Milford to the shores of Lake Ontario, and east to the doorstep of the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory.

The project has been fraught with controversy since it was first awarded a power purchase contract in 2010. The approval comes despite persistent objections from naturalists groups, heritage preservationists and County officials. They complain the industrial wind turbine project represents a threat to endangered species, to historic architecture, and County roads and bridges.

These groups now have 15 days (by July 31) in which to appeal wpd’s renewable energy approval (REA) to an environmental review tribunal.

In awarding the REA for wpd’s White Pines project, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) detailed a list of conditions it says arose from comments heard in its consultations with the community.

Among these, the developer must comply with noise limits at all times, collect and monitor water samples, contact the Ministry of Natural Resources if the project kills more birds and bats than prescribed in its permit to do so, follow avoidance techniques for the Blanding’s turtle and make reasonable efforts to keep Prince Edward County informed of construction and operation activities.

Not surprisingly, few of the objectors are satisfied with these conditions, nor do they believe them sufficient to offset the damage this project is likely to cause.

Two of the 29 turbines proposed failed to get approval, seemingly because they were too close to protected property or structures deemed a cultural heritage resource. Both deleted turbines had been proposed to be constructed south of Royal Road, west of Brewer’s Road. One of these turbines was proposed to be erected less than a kilometre from the historic Rose Frost home and a restored log cabin and barn on Gord and Janice Gibbons’ property, both on Royal Road.

Liz Driver owns the Rose Frost home, and has waged a long battle with the developer and the province seeking to protect the heritage value of the area.

“The project should not have been approved at this point,” says Driver. “As PEHAC [Prince Edward Heritage Advisory Committee] and the municipality expressed so strongly through the Environmental Registry, the Cultural Heritage Impact assessment fails to properly assess the project impacts on a large portion of South Marysburgh’s and Athol’s built heritage and cultural heritage landscapes.”

She is, however, relieved the two turbines closest to her home were not approved.

“The deletion of turbines T07 and T11 will greatly reduce the negative visual impacts on the Royal Road cultural heritage landscape and the several protected properties and other heritage buildings in the area, including Exultet and Long Dog wineries,” said Driver. “It is a precedent-setting decision for the Ministry of Environment to require that turbines be removed because of negative visual impacts. It is a huge win by the County’s heritage community, with province-wide implications for future wind projects.”

Yet she remains confounded by the decision to allow other turbines. She argues the logic and consideration given to visual impacts to her home and other cultural assets on Royal Road should apply equally to Henry House, where industrial wind turbine T09 will soon be erected.

“At a minimum, the County was relying on Stantec’s finding of harm from all three of these turbines. And how could the Ministries of Environment and Tourism and Culture disregard the County’s designation by-law that protects Mount Tabor as a focal point and emblem of the community? If ever there was a building that served as a landmark, it is Mount Tabor, perched above the mill pond and village. So many people expressed their concern about several turbines impacting this township icon, yet not a single one of turbines T01 through T06 have been removed from the project. It’s difficult not to read this as a slap in the face of the community.”

SIDELINED
Among those most concerned with the approval of the White Pines project is the municipality, which has failed to get answers to its questions about the developer’s plans. It has many questions of the developer and the province about the toll the project will take on County roads and bridges, and who will pay for any damage. They have complained about the lack of diligence in protecting the County’s built heritage and the developer’s failure to keep County officials apprised of plans to build transmission lines from Milford to north of Picton.

In November 2013, County works chief Robert McAuley wrote to the Ontario Energy Board refusing to agree to allow the developer to use County roads for the construction of transmission lines.

“Frankly, we are surprised to learn they had filed the OEB application instead of meeting with us further,” wrote McAuley.

He went on to point out that the developer’s Heritage Assessment Report lacked detail and, despite repeated requests, the municipality had not received a copy of the updated report.

Mayor Robert Quaiff met with County officials and legal counsel on Monday to determine the municipality’s response. He was unable to comment further.

MPP Todd Smith was surprised that the Ministry gave approval to wpd Canada without first knowing the outcome of the appeal of the Ostrander Point project. A ministry-appointed review tribunal revoked the REA of the developer of that project in 2103 after it determined the development posed to great a risk to the Blanding’s turtle, an endangered species.

“This is the exact same area, dealing with the exact same issues,” said Smith. “This issue hasn’t been resolved.”

He says it is ludicrous to tell wpd Canada to comply with avoidance techniques regarding the Blanding’s turtle without knowing whether these measures will work.

“How can you, as a ministry, demand that this project address these issues when your own Environmental Review Tribunal has not determined whether or not there is a way to address these concerns?” said Smith.

Smith says he has invited Queen’s Park media to come to Prince Edward County to understand and communicate the unique challenges of industrial wind turbines on last bit of undeveloped of shoreline on Lake Ontario.