Wolfe Island Wind Farm on Wolfe Island near Kingston. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber/Quinte News)
Final submissions and closing arguments for the Environmental Review Tribunal over the White Pines industrial wind project are set for January 27.
WPD is proposing to build 27 industrial wind turbines along the County’s south shore in South Marysburgh and Athol. The $200 million 20-year project was approved by the Ministry of Environment in July 2015. Two appellants, resident John Hirsch and the Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County are claiming the project would cause serious and irreversible harm to humans and/or the environment.
The ERT is scheduled to hear final oral submissions from the Ministry of Environment and WPD and then APPEC and Hirsch will offer a closing summary in opposition.
Environmental lawyer Eric Gillespie noted this is the first public meeting since early last year and APPEC has put in extensive evidence including the fact that all further industrial wind projects have been cancelled by the Wynne government.
He said that would be a tragedy given how much work has gone into protecting the Blanding’s Turtles at the now defunct Ostrander Point site.
Construction began at a couple of specific turbine locations in April 2016, when WPD began clearing trees.
A motion to stay construction was granted in part with the ERT concluding that vegetation clearing and site preparation for the project in areas deemed Blanding’s turtle spring foraging habitat stayed pending the resolution of final appeals.
The full day public meeting at the Wellington Community Centre starts at 10 a.m.
