With a document from the Geological Survey of Canada entitled “Black shale is an environmental hazard: a review of black shales in Canada” sitting beside his water well tank, Jeff Avey told the Sydenham Current he will do whatever he can to protect the water underneath his home.
“When I had my well done in 2003, I’m on black shale… I’m standing on it,” Avey said.
“That is why I’m participating because if I can help everybody out, in Dover, any wind farm that goes up in the world, if I can help to save the aquifer, I’ll do it. This is my water, I can’t live without water. That’s the bottom line.”
Avey, who lives on Nelson Street extension just outside of Wallaceburg, teamed up with Water Wells First to install a well monitoring station at his home.
Kevin Jakubec, the spokesperson for Water Wells First, said the stations will investigate the relationship between water well interference from turbidity and sediments from the black shale bedrock with the operating wind turbines planned for north of Wallaceburg through the Otter Creek Wind Farm project.
Jakubec said Water Wells First was showcasing an AC event data logger at Avey’s home during a media event on Thursday.
“When the pump turns on there is a time stamp, then there will be an in-flow turbidity meter, which is also synchronized with the time stamp,” Jakubec said.
“Then there is an anemometer, which is a device which measures wind speed and wind direction.”
Jakubec said these systems have been installed in Dover and the data has shown that with certain wind speeds and directions there is a massive influx of black particulates in the water.
Jakubec says Dr. Mark-Paul Buckingham, an engineer in Scotland, says this is indicative of seismic coupling.
“We’re dedicated to finding a solution,” Jakubec said.
“We’re trying to prevent (Chatham-Kent) from having a reputation like Flint, Michigan. It is much better that we become more activists, in our opinion, more like ‘Standing Rock.’ That brings that focus. If you have that focus, it means there is going to be somebody coming forward with a solution. Someone is going to have come up with the money for this investigation, to get the remediation, to get the fix. We haven’t seen any fix in Dover. That is why we have opposed all other wind farm construction, North Kent 1 and Otter Creek, until we see a fix for Dover. Otherwise, we think we are being used as experimental guinea pigs.”
Jakubec said Water Wells First will help other residents who choose to install filters on their wells (approximately $75) or who choose to purchase their own data logger (approximately $200) to ensure the information gets shared with hydrogeologist Bill Clarke, who they are working with.
Announced earlier today, the Otter Creek Wind Farm group is offering up a free water well testing program for concerned residents with active wells near the proposed project infrastructure.
You can read this full story here.
Shortly after hearing the announcement by Otter Creek, Jakubec told the Sydenham Current it sounds like the wind farm group “has recognized the problem finally.
“It’s a beginning… but the devil is in the details. It needs to be carefully monitored, and carefully scrutinized and pressure kept on the corporation to ensure the safety of the aquifer is a priority and the safety of the families health is a priority,” he said.
Water Wells First was also planning on attending the home of Marc St. Pierre in Dover Township on Thursday for a second media event as well.
Stay up to date with the group, by visiting waterwellsfirst.org.
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
