Wind turbines making us sick: protesters

Ontario wind turbine health concerns spur protests at Queen's Park, citing low-frequency noise, setbacks, environmental health, sleep disruption, hypertension, municipal planning, regulation, research, and a moratorium debate under the Green Energy Act.

The Liberal government has shot down an opposition motion to place an immediate moratorium on wind turbines until their health effects are further studied.

Nearly 250 people descended on Queen’s Park to protest the presence of the turbines near residential areas. They claim the turbines cause low-frequency noise and have sickened nearly 106 Ontario residents, causing a variety of health ailments ranging from hypertension to sleeplessness and nosebleeds in children.

People are suffering and their concerns are being dismissed, Dr. Robert McMurtry told the protesters.

“I see their lack of energy and things they are feeling,” the London-area surgeon said. “But the thing I can’t tolerate… is the steadfast denial of the complaints.”

The Progressive Conservatives brought forward a motion calling for an immediate moratorium on the turbines until health studies are completed. The motion was defeated by the majority Liberals.

A moratorium is unnecessary, Premier Dalton McGuinty said, citing experience elsewhere. “Wind turbines have been up and running for decades in dozens, if not hundreds, of jurisdictions,” he told reporters. “We are relatively late coming to electricity generation by means of wind power.”

Ontario has some of the most rigorous standards in North America in terms of wind power and the province is funding a university research chair to study the long-term effects of the turbines, he added.

The world needs to figure out new ways of generating clean energy, the premier said, urging Ontario to stick to wind power as part of that effort.

“There are no real easy decisions in all this. We’ve decided it would be a good thing to get rid of coal. It makes our kids sick and contributes to global warming,” he said.

During Question Period, PC MPP Joyce Savoline Burlington asked the premier why people are blocked from having a say in the placement of industrial wind farms, even after security at wind farm meetings drew criticism, but are allowed to voice opinions on where shopping malls are built.

“Why does the premier think Dalton knows best when it comes to putting large industrial wind turbines in place?” she asked.

Energy Minister Brad Duguid said there is “plenty of room for consultation” at public meetings on the projects and that municipalities are involved in the decision making.

On the front steps of the Legislature, protesters accused the Liberals of fast-tracking renewable energy projects in the name of the Green Energy Act – legislation passed last May to bolster the green economy. They say the province has bypassed planning powers of municipalities.

“There appears to be significant scientific uncertainty of how close you can have industrial turbines to where people live,” said Eric Gillespie, an environmental lawyer. He is representing Ian Hanna, a citizen whose application for judicial review of the Green Energy Act as it applies to wind turbines will be heard in September.

Currently, the turbines must be set back 550 metres from homes but Gillespie said to be safe it should be nearly 2 kilometres. “If you are going to have industrial turbines, you need to cite them in locations you can say with some degree of certainty, are safe.”

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