NAV CANADA and Samsung/Pattern Armow wind

News of Transport Canada orders to remove 8 turbines near the Chatham Municipal Airport provides a fresh reason to review the current situation in Kincardine, where NAV Canada's concerns communicated to Samsung/Pattern in April 2012 were unknown to council until a full year later (some background here)

NAV CANADA letter of April 12, 2012

Appendix C of NAV CANADA letter of April 12, 2012

We have evaluated the proposed Armow Wind Farm study area based on information provided to us January 31, 2012. Since specific turbine location and elevation data is unavailable at this time, our assessment is based on the entire project area boundary and a single maximum elevation of 445m (1459.9738ft) above mean sea level (illustrated in Appendix B).
This method of assessment is an excellent means of determining all possible ANS (Air Navigation System)  impacts and allows re-configuration of individual turbines within the study area without change to the final ANS impact analysis; however, as this assessment method considers a larger area than will be necessary for  individual turbines, it constitutes a ‘worst-case’ analysis and can reveal more ANS impacts than an assessment of individual turbine sites

True cost of Britain's wind farm industry revealed/The Green Jobs Myth

"there are plenty of others working hard to turn renewable energy subsidies into more renewable energy subsidies."  -  The green jobs myth | The Spectator

True cost of Britain's wind farm industry revealed - Telegraph:

A new analysis of government and industry figures shows that wind turbine owners received £1.2billion in the form of a consumer subsidy, paid by a supplement on electricity bills last year. They employed 12,000 people, to produce an effective £100,000 subsidy on each job.
The disclosure is potentially embarrassing for the wind industry, which claims it is an economically dynamic sector that creates jobs. It was described by critics as proof the sector was not economically viable, with one calling it evidence of “soft jobs” that depended on the taxpayer.
The subsidy was disclosed in a new analysis of official figures, which showed that:

• The level of support from subsidies in some cases is so high that jobs are effectively supported to the extent of £1.3million each;

Continue reading at the Telegraph

Related:
ZAPPED: THE HIGH COST OF ONTARIO’S RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY SUBSIDIES | 2011 - Benjamin Dachis and Jan Carr

Wind turbine troubles: Big Wind launches SLAPP suit in Taiwan

Wind turbine troubles - Taipei Times: 

The residents of Yuanli Township launched their resistance movement against InfraVest GmbH, a German wind power company, in September, after a concerned Chen Ching-hai (陳清海), a local artist and owner of the Xin Diao Ju (心雕居) wood sculpture gallery, attended a pre-construction information session for residents living within 250m of the planned wind turbines. He learned that the firm intended to build 14 wind turbines, each capable of generating 2,300 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy, along the township’s 2km pristine coastline.
But something wasn’t altogether right: records of the meeting showed that only 18 people in the four affected communities were present at the briefing.

Worried about the density and close proximity of turbines to their homes, Chen and the residents formed the Yuanli Self-Help Group (苑裡反瘋車自救會). In all, of the 7,682 residents of Yuanli, 4,281 signed the petition opposing the construction of so many turbines in their neighborhood, and so close to their homes."

It will cost $695 million a year to produce wind power that Quebec doesn't need

It will cost $695 million a year to produce wind power that Quebec doesn't need - WSJ.com:

MONTREAL, June 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Invoking "obvious economic reasons," i.e., annual savings of $24 million, the Quebec government cancelled six small hydroelectric power projects this past February. In April, however, it announced new supply contracts for wind power, a sector that is already guaranteed to receive an implicit subsidy of $695 million a year until 2020. For Youri Chassin, economist at the MEI and the author of the Economic Note released today, we have an urgent need for rational decisions based on our actual energy requirements and not on artificial support of various energy sectors.
"Quebecers pay literally hundreds of millions of dollars a year to produce electricity from wind turbines that they don't need. This energy is 2.5 times more expensive than hydroelectricity. Even if they account for only a small proportion of the electricity produced here, Hydro-Québec has indicated that the most recent rate hike was due almost entirely to these new projects," explains Mr. Chassin.

Continue reading at the Wall Street Journal, or at the Industrial Wind Action group

Transport Canada orders removal of eight wind turbines in Chatham-Kent

CTV news is now reporting on the Transport Canada demand for the removal of a number of the industrial wind turbines surrounding - or planned to surround - the Chatham Municipal Airport.

WCO's first post summarizing initial press coverage of the order included an easily missed reference to a Chatham Daily News editorial, "Flights of Fancy?" which asked, "Would eight wind turbines have been erected as close to a municipal airport in rural Ontario had the local municipality been allowed to be more involved in the turbines' location?"
For the CTV report the question might have been rephrased to begin "Would over a hundred wind turbines ..."

Transport Canada orders removal of eight wind turbines in Chatham-Kent | CTV Windsor News

Transport Canada has ordered the removal of a number of wind turbines in Chatham-Kent.They're a hazard to aviation, as pilots fly in and out of the airport.The machines may also violate federal zoning regulations."If you are coming in to land and you are unfamiliar with the area, especially if clouds are starting to get low, then you could end up much closer to them then you would like to be," says 30 flying veteran Jeffrey Pyefinch.He says the 8 turbines Transport Canada has now ordered removed, should have never been built in the first place."The airport is protected by a federal zoning law regulation and the turbines were infringing on that area, so they should have never been allowed to go up in the first place," says Pyefnch.Officials are now questioning how this even happened.

Continue reading, or view the video segment, at CTV Windsor News

Wind farm operators face kids 'brainwashing' claims

Wind farm operators face kids 'brainwashing' claims | John O'Groat Journal | News: 

AN anti-wind farm campaigner yesterday said Caithness school children should not be involved in what she described as "a propaganda war."

Image from source article

Linda Holt, of Scotland Against Spin, hit out at a plan to get local pupils to name 21 wind turbines at the Baillie wind farm.
"I feel very strongly that children should not be used in what is a propaganda war. They should not be involved," she said.
Her stance was endorsed by the chairman of the Caithness Wind Information Forum Stuart Young.
"Tom Pottinger — a local farmer and director of Baillie Wind farm Ltd — is being extremely clever. It is very good PR and you have to admire him for that," Mr Young told the John O’Groat Journal.
But he added: "It would be much more admirable if he informed them what it is costing them and their parents and the poor people who live there."
Mr Young claimed youngsters are being "brainwashed" at school and told about the advantages of green energy "without hearing the other side."

Continue reading

Public School Shirt with K2 logo (Samsung/Pattern)

Removal ordered for turbines near C-K airport

Removal ordered for turbines near C-K airport | Local | News | Chatham Daily News:

In an unprecedented move in Ontario, Transport Canada has ordered the removal of eight wind turbines in close proximity to the Chatham Municipal Airport.
...
Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Rick Nicholls said he complained in a recent letter to the federal transport minister of the turbines that were in close proximity to the airport.
"Not only do they make it unsafe for pilots but I'm told the spinning blades affect radar,'' he said.
Nicholls said he is also concerned that the turbines would limit use of the airport by larger companies that might consider locating in Chatham-Kent and make use of company planes.
The MPP said the turbine company and not Chatham-Kent taxpayers should be billed for the cost of removing the turbines.
Chatham councillor Michael Bondy said he heard about the mistake from an anonymous source.
...'
Bondy said his concern is that the municipality may end up having to pay the huge demolition cost because the turbine company was issued municipally-approved building permits.

The entire article can be read at the Chatham Daily News

Bullied Host: Letter to Premier Wynne

A letter to the Premier 

Dear Premier,
Wind Company Bully Tactics
The February Throne Speech introduced the concept of ’willing hosts’ for your government’s energy projects. Since that time there has been a lot of discussion of municpalities as willing hosts. l would like your government also to consider the landowners who are actually providing the land for the wind turbine projects on their property. I am one of those who made a mistake and signed a wind company lease. Since shortly after signing, i have being trying to correct my mistake but have not been successful as the contract provided by the wind company is so one-sided that there are only cancellation clauses for the wind company,
In my legal process, l have seen first-hand the wind company’s aggressive tactics. I am definitely not a ’willing' host, I think that I qualify as ‘bullied host’. I am reading about NEXTera’s threatened lawsuit against Esther Wrlghtman. I expect that your government is embarrassed by the public exposure of this company’s tactics. I think you should be aware that this is not an isolated situation, other wind companies are using exactly the same tactics as NEXTera. Newspapers have just not written about them.
In my case ...

Is this the shape of things to come?

Is this the shape of things to come? | Niagara this week:

“We had absolutely no idea there were this many... it really wasn’t on the radar until the first year into our term,” said Mayor Hewitt. “Because of the way the Green Energy Act works, the projects and project managers of the companies were able to go out and secure leases and work in silos. We weren’t aware of what was going on until those land leases were secured and projects applied for.”
A prospective green energy developer does not need to inform the public of their plans to construct a turbine, solar farm or other power generating site until they have secured a contract with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA). First-time councillor Fred Morison represents Ward 2.
His constituents are at “Ground Zero” when it comes to current turbine construction, with many of the first projects now complete. He described the process as “hush hush,” and said municipal council and staff were largely in the dark until the turbines were on the way.

Clearview says no to wind turbine projects

Clearview says no to wind turbine projects | Local | News | Midland Free Press:

CLEARVIEW TWP – The township has declared it’s unwilling to host two wind farm projects.
Clearview Township council voted 8-1 to support a motion that states the township is not supportive of WPD Canada Corp’s Fairview Wind Project and Skyway 124 Wind Farm, which are currently in the application process in front of the provincial government.
The motion put forth by Councillor Thom Paterson was to object to any current and future industrial wind turbine projects, but Councillor Shawn Davidson proposed an amendment to have the motion pertain only to the two projects.
“This amendment fundamentally changes the purpose of my motion,” said Paterson who voted against the amendment. “That’s saying we don't like the specific proponents of the proposal and really the intent of the motion is we don’t want industrial wind turbines anywhere in Clearview.”
The gallery, which was almost entirely full, applauded Paterson for his comment.

Continue reading at the Midland Free Press

Benny Peiser, Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has posted an interview the Global Warming Policy Foundation's Dr. Benny Peiser.

Benny Peiser, Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation: FCPP - Frontier Centre for Public Policy:

FC: You mentioned that the policy involves the largest wealth transfer between the poor and the rich in history during your talk. Can you just expand on that?

BP: We are talking about a wealth transfer in the order of about 600 billion euros in the last eight years. Subsidies paid to green investors mainly land owners and very wealthy families who put up large solar panels on their farms or roofs. These 600 billion euros are being paid by ordinary families and small, medium sized businesses to the most privileged members of European society. That is the biggest wealth transfer in modern Europe for a very, very, long time if not ever.

Continue reading at FCPP - Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Councillors, HEAT debate municipal consultation

Councillors, HEAT debate municipal consultation | Local | News | Seaforth Huron Expositor:

Concerns about the St. Columban Wind Project to address in the municipal consultation form to the Ministry of the Environment were debated at last Tuesday’s meeting of Huron East council.
A three-person delegation from Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) urged councillors to include the need for a baseline sound study on the consultation form, a suggestion supported by Mayor Bernie MacLellan who said, “It makes perfect sense to me.”
“A baseline sound study could be added to the consultation form so when you do other sound studies, you’ll know what the difference is,” recommended HEAT member Tom Melady, adding that two acousticians HEAT has consulted, Bill Palmer and Rick James, could be used to conduct the study. 

...getting a baseline sound study done is very similar to farmers taking preliminary electrical readings to make sure they don’t have problems with stray voltage after a wind project is operating.“This could become valuable information if we proceeded to a lawsuit. I don’t see the harm in asking the proponent for it,” said MacLellan.

Continue reading at the Seaforth Huron Expositor

Thursday at noon: "Kathleen Wynne takes your calls"

CBC.ca | Ontario Today:

The Premier returns to Ontario Today to take your questions on everything from gas plants and deleted emails to taxes to build transit and infrastucture.

...or maybe you have another topic you'd like to ask about

Wind Wise Massachusetts: Wind Turbines Adversely Affect Health, New Studies Show

Wind Wise Massachusetts: Wind Turbines Adversely Affect Health, New Studies Show - WSJ.com:

BOSTON, June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two new, peer-reviewed studies show that there is evidence that individuals living near industrial wind turbines are at risk for a number of health ailments, including stress and sleep disturbance.
"Industrial wind turbines can harm human health if sited too close to residents," according to a paper in the May, 2013 issue of Canadian Family Physician.
"The documented (medical) symptoms are usually stress disorder-type diseases ... and can represent serious harm to human health," the paper's authors stated.
In The Journal of Laryngology and Otology, the authors reported in March that "there is ample evidence of symptoms arising in individuals exposed to wind turbine noise."
"...there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that infrasound and low frequency noise (caused by the wind turbines) have physiological effects on the ear," according to Amir Farboud, MD, of Glan Clwyd Hospital in Wales, one of the researchers.
The study pointed out that "a large body of evidence now exists to suggest that wind turbines do disturb sleep and impair health at distances and sound pressures levels that are permitted in the United Kingdom."
The paper -- Wind turbine syndrome: fact or fiction? -- was designed to address the effects of infrasound and low frequency noise from wind turbines and review the literature supporting the validity of "wind turbine syndrome."

Continue Reading at Wall Street Journal:

Big Wind SLAPPs Critic

Robert Bryce on Nextera vs Esther Wrightman

Big Wind SLAPPs Critic | National Review Online:

NextEra’s filing against Wrightman is a textbook case of a SLAPP suit, a strategic lawsuit against public participation. And it’s a particularly loathsome one as NextEra filed it in Ontario, the epicenter of the backlash against the encroaching sprawl of the 150-meter-high, noise-producing, bird-and-bat-killing, subsidy-dependent wind-energy sector.
Making it yet more loathsome: The suit was filed just before the Ontario legislature began considering a bill that would limit SLAPP suits. SLAPP suits have been common — and largely successful — in recent years in several Canadian provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia. Limits are needed, says Ontario’s attorney general, John Gerretsen, because SLAPPs have a “chilling effect” on public debate. Nearly 30 U.S. states have enacted laws to prevent SLAPPs.

Read the entire article at National Review Online