MPP speaks out against $8M Chatham-Kent wind farm project

CHATHAM A Chatham-area opposition MPP is sounding the alarm over Chatham-Kent’s plan to invest nearly $8 million into a wind farm project capable of powering 25,000 homes.

“In my opinion, they should not be going ahead with it,” Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls said, citing the controversy around the North Kent 1 Wind Turbine project, with concerns raised that vibrations from the construction and operation of the turbines will damage area water wells.

A majority of council recently voted in favour of taking $7.74 million from the municipality’s cash reserves for Entegrus, an electrical utility 90-per-cent owned by Chatham-Kent, to buy a 15-per-cent stake in the 100 megawatt project that will see 32 industrial wind turbines built north of Chatham.

If it’s proven the wind farm project is damaging wells, Nicholls said that nearly $8 million investment could be lost if the project is ordered to be shut down.

He also questions what will happen to local electricity rates if Entegrus has to eat that kind of a loss.

When asked about the potential impact on water wells, Mayor Randy Hope said: “Things need to be proven scientifically.”

He said when the turbine industry began in Ontario, there were concerns raised about several issues from shadow flicker to birds and bats being affected.

“Is it a matter of are these scientifically based, or are these (complaints) that I just don’t want turbines?” Hope said.