Neighbours worry about noise
Nova Scotia’s environment minister wants more information about a proposed $150-million wind farm in Pictou County before he will give it the go-ahead.
Mark Parent sent a letter last week to Shear Wind, developer of the Glen Dhu wind farm near Merigomish, Pictou County, asking for details on the proximity of the wind turbines to nearby homes and the anticipated noise levels.
"During the review, many local residents expressed concern about the potential for noise from the wind farm," Mr. Parent wrote last Wednesday in a two-page letter to Ian Tillard, Shear Wind’s chief operating officer.
Kristen Overmyer, of Baileys Brook, was heartened by Mr. Parent’s action.
"My wife and I feel the minister’s decision demonstrated his department’s commitment to protecting the environment and residents by following the process and responding to our concerns," he said in an e-mail Tuesday.
During the review process, Mr. Overmyer discovered his house would be closest to the wind turbines, less than a kilometre from the nearest one.
The company explained that one turbine had to be moved closer to Mr. Overmyer’s house to avoid the flight patterns of raptors, including vultures, hawks, eagles and osprey.
Shear Wind must tell the government exactly where the turbines will be located and the number of residences — along with any other "sensitive receptors" such as daycares, hospitals or seniors residences — within two kilometres.
Shear Wind, founded in 2005, submitted its environmental studies in late August for its proposed 60-megawatt Glen Dhu Wind Park.
It hopes to start producing wind-generated electricity as early as December 2009 and sell it to Nova Scotia Power.
Residents have complained that the wind turbines would be closer to their homes than Shear Wind first indicated.
Besides location and noise issues, Mr. Parent said there are other "outstanding concerns."
"Shear Wind must address potential impacts of the proposed development on the local population of mainland moose," the minister wrote.
Shear Wind has a year to provide the requested information and the minister then has 50 days to approve or reject the wind farm project.
Mr. Parent also said Fisheries and Oceans Canada wants to visit the site to review the proposed water crossings.
Shear Wind has said the environmental studies, which took two years to complete, focused on soil, water, animal life and socio-economic conditions.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1084741.html
1 comment:
Happy birthday Dave.
My wife finally got a chance to get close to a turbine. Friday, we stopped near River John about 150 meters away from the generator. She couldn't hear it until I shut the truck off and she opened her door. Her comment was that it was a lot quieter than the waves breaking that day.
When I heard about the generators falling off the barge I thought that if they were wind the anti wind sites would be using this as an example of how evil wind energy is. Nope- it's nuclear so silence from Wind Watch. At the same time, WW was bemoaning traffic tieups as propellers were delivered. Double standard?
That was exciting news from PEI. I'm sure some correspondent, believing in the backup myth, will claim new coal fired plats will have to be built. My estimation of the number of new fossil fuel plants needed to shadow the PEI development is 0.
Too bad Nova Scotian politicians don't have the common sense their counterparts on PEI have.
John McManus
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