HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-08-17, Page 7Wednesday, August 17, 2016 • Huron Expositor 7
Huron mulls partnership to investigate wind farms
John Miner
Postmedia Network
Derailed earlier this year,
Huron County's plan to
investigate health com-
plaints against wind farms
could be back on track by
fall.
The Huron County board
of health is considering
teaming up with Wind Con-
cerns Ontario and the Uni-
versity of Waterloo to study
complaints that the indus-
trial wind turbines are caus-
ing headaches, dizziness,
nosebleeds and other sleep
ailments for some residents
living nearby.
The rural county north of
London is home to some of
the province's largest wind
farms and hundreds of
turbines.
The county had started
a study, enrolling people
online. But that was put
on hold in May with some
board members express-
ing concerns about the
costs to the municipality
and the possibility the
work would duplicate
other studies.
At a meeting last week,
the health board accepted
the fundamentals of collab-
orating with Waterloo, but
now needs details on how
much staff time the health
unit would be required to
contribute to the study,
said Bluewater Mayor Tyler
Hessel, chair of the health
board.
Hessel said there are
advantages to working with
the university, instead of
conducting their own inde-
pendent investigation.
"There would be a lot
more science behind it. We
would have an educational
institution with us in the
process," Hessel said
Tuesday.
Jane Wilson, president of
Wind Concerns Ontario, a
provincial lobby group criti-
cal of wind farm develop-
ment, said the partnership
with Huron County and the
university solves problems
for all parties.
"We needed someone to
collect the reports of citizen
problems and they needed
someone to do the technical
work. It seemed very favour-
able," Wilson said.
"I'm hoping they see the
benefits," she said.
If Huron County decides
if it doesn't want to proceed
with a partnership, Wind
Concerns and the univer-
sity could look at doing the
study in another area, she
said.
"There are other munici-
palities interested in
responding to noise com-
plaints as well."
Go jump in the lake, but cool off? Dicey
Debora Van Brenk
Postmedia Network
Sure, head to the beach to
cool off. Just don't expect it
to be nature's big
refrigerator.
As the region endures
another sweltering week, the
Great Lakes also are
sweating — with surface
temperatures on Lake Erie,
for example, touching an
average 25 C.
That's far warmer than in
the chill summer of 2014.
"That was a long winter.
Ice cover persisted and
then it was a cool and more
cloudy summer," said
George Leshkevich, a sci-
entist with Great Lakes
Environmental Research
Laboratory in Ann Arbor,
Mich.
Near shore, beach water is
testing as warm as 27 C, a
few degrees cooler than the
air temperature.
Refreshing, yes — cool, no.
Water temperatures
bounce up or down each
year but it takes a lot of
solar energy to warm that
much water, Leshkevich
noted.
Numbers this year are
similar to those of 2012,
when lack of cloud and high
heat pushed temperatures
THE NUMBERS
Average surface temperature August
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario
2016
18.4c
22.4c
21.6c
25.2c
23c
2014
10.5c
17.3c
17.9c
21.9c
19.8c
19.9c
23.5c
25.2c
25.2c
24.1c
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up almost to 1994levels.
Temperature readings are
made through satellite read-
ings and a series of in -water
buoys.
Unlike other years,
though, the warmth has not
fuelled algae blooms in Lake
Erie.
A new report from the
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administra-
tion says lack of rain has
kept harmful phosphorus
from leaching into rivers
leading to the lakes. That in
turn has kept algae in
check.
dvanbrenk@postmedia.com
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MID -HURON
LANDFILL MEETING
Notice of Public Meeting
The Municipalities of Central Huron, Huron
East and Goderich representatives hereby
advise that a Public Meeting will be held on
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
in the Holmesville Community Hall located
at 190 Community Centre Rd, Holmesville,
to discuss a community waste centre/transfer
facility to replace the Mid -Huron Landfill site
which is scheduled to close in 2018.
Private waste haulers, contractors, members
of the public, local businesses and municipal
representatives are encouraged to attend.
Larry J. McCabe, Secretary
57 West St. Goderich, ON N7A 2K5
(519) 524-8344