Ontario to study health effects of wind turbines

The Ontario government appears to be ready to move ahead with a health-hazard study into wind turbines in Chatham-Kent. The issue was highlighted during the provincial election earlier this year, with Premier Doug Ford pledging to undertake an investigation into local wind farms and their issues with neighbouring water wells. Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton on Thursday explained what action has taken place, after Essex MPP Taras Natyshak raised the issue at Queen’s Park on Oct. 16. McNaughton said the Health Ministry has ordered Ontario’s chief medical officer to review all of the data on past collections and information gathered over the past few years to get answers for affected families.

“(This) begins the process of getting to the bottom of this,” the MPP said. McNaughton, Ontario’s minister of infrastructure, said he expects to provide more information in the near future.

Water Wells First, a local environmental group, has said that because of wind-turbine vibrations, well water in the former Dover and Chatham townships has been affected by metals such as uranium, arsenic and lead found in the black shale formation.

As well, homeowners in those rural areas have complained that their taps and pipes have become clogged because of sediment in the well water.

Kevin Jakubec, spokesman for Water Wells First, said earlier this year that a health-hazard study is important because it could pinpoint the reason for the dirty water.

“The government should put a priority on our health and wellbeing,” Jakubec said. “We need that done because we need to understand what is going to be a successful remediation method, and we don’t have that, we don’t have that safety net.”