As a concerned resident of North Kent, and member of Water Wells First, some issues of the article published this week concern me.
On October 5th 2016 Mr. Norton. Chief Legal Consul for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent made certain remarks to the press.
If Mr. Norton is accurate in his statements to the media, then he indicates the Municipality relies solely on a certain Golder document to form opinions about wind farm impacts on water wells in our Municipality.
It is only in the public’s best interest then that Mr. Norton and Mayor Hope immediately release this document to the public.
The families in the former Dover Township with contaminated wells need the explanation for why their wells became damaged after wind turbine foundation construction.
The thousands of well owners in North Chatham-Kent also will want Mr. Norton and Mayor Hope to release the Golder document for independent scientific review.
Media reports say the Golder document states that “ground-vibration through the construction and operation of wind turbines has a insignificant effect on well water conditions.”
If this statement were true, why did the MOECC release on June 29, 2016 the North Kent 1 wind farm REA permit with section H-ground-bourne vibration monitoring conditions.
In particular, condition H1, (2) & (3):
– H1- The Company shall retain a qualified seismologist to develop a ground-bourne vibration monitoring program. The ground-borne vibration monitoring program shall include:
– (2) measuring and monitoring ground-bourne vibration generated from pile-driving activities during construction of the facility.
– (3) measuring and monitoring ground-bourne vibration generated from the operation of the wind turbines at the Facility.
It would appear the MOECC knows more than Mr. Norton and Mayor Hope and clearly the MOECC would not solely rely upon one document as the municipality wishes to .
Mike deBakker
North Kent
