Council should follow lead on turbine guidelines
Administrator | Mar 12, 2012 | Comments 2
On March 6, I emailed a letter to Mayor Mertens and council. I have received only one response and that was from the councillor for North Marysburgh, Robert Quaiff.
This is especially irritating since I voted for Peter Mertens based on what I presumed to be his position against the development of industrial turbines in our communities, I have been surprised by his lack-lustre performance at council and elsewhere on this matter.
The point of my letter to the council was to direct them to the innovative and proactive actions of the mayor and municipal council of Plympton-Wyoming in Lambton County which is east of Sarnia. This was reported in an article on CBC news on March 5.
That municipality has passed two bylaws: one that establishes a minimum setback for turbines from residences of 2km and another that requires a deposit of $200,000 from turbine developers for every turbine it erects in that municipality. This money will be used to offset the costs of social and environmental damage and the dismantling of aging turbines once the turbine company lose interest when the costs of maintenance outstrip the energy subsidies from government. Anyone who doubts this will happen has not been diligent in their research and truly has been lulled to sleep by both the provincial government and the turbine developers.
I can’t imagine why anyone would not think these ideas are good ones except possibly someone who is afraid that strong local action will deter developers. Given the undying support for the Green Energy Act by our current provincial government that idea is laughable.
Sure, we all know Premier McGuinty through the Green Energy Act and his war against the countryside has removed this kind of decision-making from rural municipalities but should the time come when the GEA is changed the Municipality of Plympton-Wyoming will have some good guidelines in place. How about PEC council following this lead?
Lisa Wood
Milford
Filed Under: Letters and Opinion
The 550 meter setback is not sufficient to safeguard people living at that distance. Our council would be wise to adopt a more appropriate minimum and it would be even better if they used the property line rather than a home as the marker. The Green Energy Act should not be able to dictate any future use of my property.
Lisa I find it amazing that when you contact council about anything,Robert Quaiff is usually the only one who replies. Robert went to Toronto last week to be there for the private members bill re the moritorium on IWT,s
I see you live in Milford and you have very good cause not to want IWT’s on a personal level but on a much wider level they are not only going to destroy South Marysburgh but they are going to end up costing industry so much money that many large companies will move out of Ontario