From calling for the resignation of Chatham-Kent’s mayor, to calling for a halt to the North Kent Wind Farm project, a grassroots organization is continuing their relentless fight to preserve water wells in rural Chatham-Kent.
According to a press release, Water Wells First is blocking North Kent Wind construction crews from accessing their pile driver equipment in multiple location in Chatham-Kent on Thursday morning.
“By doing (we are preventing) further Chatham Township families from losing their water wells at three wind turbine locations in Chatham Township early this morning,” stated Kevin Jakubec, spokesperson for the group.
The sites under blockade are: 9998 Oldfield Line, 9917 Country View Line and 9525 Country View Line.
“These sites will remain blocked from construction crews until the (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change) issues a halt order to North Kent Wind developers – Samsung & Pattern Development,” Jakubec said in a press releas.
“Construction of North Kent Wind must stop. Water Wells First demands all pile driving activities be stopped immediately until the MOECC identifies the wind turbines in Dover Township, that continue to cause contaminating sediments which include heavy metals laced Black Shale particles from entering that Township’s families well water supply.”
Jakubec said in the past few weeks, five Chatham Township families have reported well interference complaints to the MOECC.
“The MOECC fully understands the issue,” Jakubec said.
“Out of anger and frustration… the members of Water Wells First have had to act independently to protect their families water supply and well being and block construction crews from operating the pile drivers. The Chatham-Kent Municipality has proved to be ineffective in protecting our community’s water security. Serious questions that the Municipality has a potential conflict of interest by supporting and investing $8 million dollars into North Kent Wind are now raised.”
Jakubec added: “In addition, the MOECC, who is responsible to safe guard Ontario’s aquifers equally has proved to be ineffective as the Municipality. The developers- Samsung and Pattern Development have proved to mislead the community on this matter of water security by issuing blatantly false press releases lately.”
Jakubec said Water Wells First has the “full support of the Council of Canadians” in blocking access to the pile drivers.
“Members of Water Wells First have been trained in non-violent civil disobedience by the Council of Canadians and intend to see no one’s property or person is harmed by these actions,” he said.
Calling for Mayor Hope’s resignation
Earlier this month, Water Wells First called out Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope in an email, which was also sent to the media.
The group went as far as calling for Hope to resign from office.
Jakubec said in the email that Water Wells First had to obtain from the Municipality, through a Freedom of Information request, the response from MOECC Minister Glen Murray to Hope’s April 20 letter to him.
Jakubec said the reply would’ve been helpful to be aware of prior to their June 28 meeting with the MOECC in Windsor.
“Had you shared the contents of this reply from Minister Glen Murray with Water Wells First and the Community at large, our community may not have had to pay for additional private testing of their wells,” Jakubec wrote in the email to Mayor Hope.
“To date $230,000 has been spent just on laboratory tests alone.”
Reports say Hope made council aware of the response, which he is mandated to do.
Published reports indicate Hope said he would not “play the game”, adding that there are no secrets to hide.
Hope said he didn’t appreciate the call for resignation or Water Wells First criticism, reports say.
North Kent Wind responds
After Water Wells First and the Brooks family in North Kent held a press conference, blaming pile-driving activity less than one kilometre from their home on Brook Line for clogging their well pump with sediment and leaving them with no water, a spokesperson with the North Kent Wind Farm project responded with a statement issued to the local media.
“The MOECC received a complaint about water quality from a landowner on Monday and relayed it to us,” stated Jody Law, senior manager of development for the North Kent Wind Project.
“We immediately scheduled a site visit by Aecom staff, which included licensed well contractors, to sample the water and have it tested.”
Law said there was evidence of an issue.
“The preliminary update from Aecom’s field staff is that, with no remedial work required, they were able to run a faucet continuously with no issues,” Law said.
“The sample was visually clear and colorless with no visible sediment. We have requested expedited analysis from the lab but, at this point, there is no empirical evidence of an issue.”
In response, Jakubec and Water Wells First called the statement from Law “not factually accurate and misleading.”
MPP calls for wind farm development moratorium
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton got behind Water Wells First, calling for a moratorium on development at the North Kent Wind farm site.
“I ask that you examine with some haste the Renewable Energy Approval granted to North Kent Wind
June 29, 2016,” McNaughton wrote in a letter sent to the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Chris Ballard.
“I contend that several sections of the approval are either being ignored or are not being conducted with sufficient rigour. The need for timely action is due to the contamination of water wells in the former Township of Dover in the present Municipality of Chatham-Kent. The most likely cause of which appears to be vibration from the construction of foundations for towers to house industrial wind turbines.”
McNaughton added: “I believe that an immediate moratorium on construction of North Kent Wind should be
imposed until such a time that your Ministry conducts or oversees independent groundwater monitoring tests. Allowing the proponent of the renewable energy project to monitor its own activities with regard to groundwater and vibration does not inspire confidence in my constituents. Especially not of those who reside in the immediate neighbourhood of the construction project.”
McNaughton said he is eager to work with Ballard at the MOECC on the issue.
Jakubec loses law suit to Wesley
Jakubec was on the losing end of a recent civil law suit with Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley.
The ruling, made by Deputy Judge Glen C. Walker, was for $25,000 in damages and $2,000 in costs.
The basis of the law suit stemmed from “defamatory comments” made by Jakubec in multiple media outlets earlier this year, Walker said in his ruling.
Water Wells First and Jakubec had handed Wesley one of their ‘Shame Awards’ back in February, for apparently misleading the public.
Subsequently, Wesley demanded an apology and retraction of the comments and threatened legal action against Jakubec.
Wesley’s lawyer, Michael M. Lerner said in an e-mail that Wesley is happy with the outcome.
“Mr. Wesley is delighted with the decision and has instructed me to enforce the judgment for damages and costs,” Lerner said in an e-mail to the media.
“After all expenses have been paid, the balance will be donated to a charity or non-profit organization committed to the preservation of clean drinking water.”
Walker’s ruling stated that Wesley was “embarrassed and humiliated” by the false accusations by Jakubec.
As a result, Walker said in his ruling that Wesley has decided not the run for municipal council in the nest election. Read more about this, here.
Reports say Jakubec felt “blind-sided” by the ruling, adding he was not aware of any court date.
Published reports indicate Jakubec intends to appeal the ruling and file a complaint with the ombudman’s office against Wesley.
– Watch for more coverage of this on-going story in the community.
– Photo credit: Water Wells First
