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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-01-31, Page 10CASA Engineering and Construction Proposed Wind Power Projects • Municipality of Huron East, Huron County CASA Engineering and Construction ("CASA") is proposing to develop two wind farm projects ("St. Columban 1 and St. Columban 2 Wind Power Projects") to generate electricity within a single project area located northeast of the community of Seaforth and north of St. Columban, Municipality of East Huron. The projects arc being proposed in response to the Ontario Power Authority's Standard Offer Program for Renewable Energy Generators. The number and configuration of wind turbines in the project area is currently being determine& It is anticipated that the each project will likely consist of approximately 4-6 wind turbines; each with an aggregate capacity of no greater than 10 MW. These projects will include overhead and underground electrical collection lines from the wind turbines to an interconnection point with the local Hydro One distribution system. CASA has retained Gartner Lee Limited to prepare an Environmental Review Report ("ERR") as required under Ontario Regulation 1 16/01 of the Environmental Assessment Act. The ERR will follow the requirements for a Category B project under the "Guide to Environmental Assessment Requirements for Electricity Projects" (March 2001) as released by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch. CASA is initiating the ERR pursuant to this Notice of Commencement. Where applicable, the Projects will also have regard for federal requirements. As necessary, CASA and Gartner Lee Limited will work with federal agencies to ensure the project meets the requirements for a screening level study under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. At this time Gartner Lee is compiling an environmental features inventory in the study area (see map) in order to prepare the ERR. The ERR will be made available to stakeholders and the public for review and comment. Stakeholder participation is an important component of the environmental study process. Issues raised by stakeholders and interested persons and submitted to the project proponent will be considered in thc Environmental Assessment. You arc invited to provide any comments to thc contacts listed below, to ensure that thc appropriate environmental protection measures are incorporated into the project design. There will be additional opportunities for public participation as the study advances. For more information please contact: Jose Menendez, P.Eng. Special Projects Consultant CASA Engineering and Construction 3300 Bloor St. W., Centre Tower Suite 3140, 11th Floor Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8X 2X3 Email: casacc4rogcrs.com Tel: 647 899 6312 Tomasz Wlodarczyk Environmental Assessment Project Manager Gartner Lee Limited 300 Town Centre Blvd., Suite 300 Markham, ON, L3R 5Z6 Email: twlodarczyk(<1;aartncr esom Tel: 1-905-477-8400, ext. 234 Information will be collected and used in accordance with the Freedom of Mformatiorr and Privacy Act. and solely for the purpose of assisting CASA Engineering and Constructkxt in meeting environmental assessment and local planning requirements. This material will be maintained on tile for use during the study and may be included in project documentation. With the exception of personal information all comments will become part of the public record. Page 10 January 31, 2007 • The Huron Expositor News Local snowmobile trails open on limited basis pen by upcoming weekend as more snow falls, say local clubs All trails should be o Jeff H e u c h e r t Ampligimp Area snowmobilers finally had reason to get excited last week...and for the foreseeable future. Both clubs that operate trails in Huron East opened their trails just prior to the start of last weekend. However, both clubs opened their trails on a limited basis, where rid- ers are being asked to proceed with caution due to some plowed fields having only marginal snow cover. "(The trails are) in pretty good shape. They're not 100 per cent, but likely 95 per cent open," says Ron Williamson, director of the Pineridge Snowmobile Club. "Every one will be open by this upcoming weekend." Some trails operated by both area clubs had to be adjusted this year to accommodate area farmers who decided not to allow their land to be used, in a protest directed to the provincial and federal governments. Williamson says ideal riding con- ditions would be four to six inches of snow and that they're "in that neighbourhood" right now. As for the BW Trailblazers, Ken Hunsberger says as every day pass- es and more snow falls, the trails are getting into better shape. He adds that the snow came at just the right time, as snowmobil- ers were getting anxious to hit the trails - while some even went out before they were opened. "There was a lot of traffic on the roads with snowmobilers coming from the cities (this past weekend)," he says. "I think everybody was keen," adds Williamson. "There were a lot of people out over the weekend. I was out and I was bumping into a lot of sleds." Hunsberger says snowmobilers shouldn't be surprised by the late start to the season, since it was around this time last year when trails opened. As for trail permit sales, while Notice of Commencement of an Environmental Assessment under the Ontario Environmental Screening Process for Electricity Projects both clubs suffered low numbers earlier in the season when there was little or no snow, Williamson says the snow had definitely helped with his permit sales, which he esti- mates is up to around 800-900. However, Hunsberger says the Trailblazers are still facing a low number of permit sales, which he hopes will begin to rise over the next couple of weeks as the trails remain open. Regular trail condition updates are posted on the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs website at www.ofsc.on.ca. Farmers will express anger at polling booth, says grassroots group Jennifer Hubbard alligIMEMMEND With a year of protests and rallies behind them, Huron's grassroots farm group has a different plan of attack for 2007. According to area snowmobile club representatives, less than a dozen farmers restricted use of their proper- ties for use in the snowmobile trail system, in the group's most recent efforts to lobby the provincial and federal governments. "From the beginning, we made it abundantly clear that we didn't have any issues with the snowmobilers," explained Bev Hill, a Varna -area farmer. "What we were trying to do was get the snowmobile industry — an industry that is largely dependent on having access to farmland at no cost — behind us and use that industry to leverage more support in lobbying the government for a risk management program for grain and oilseeds farmers. "At this point it hasn't been successful, we don't appear to be any closer than we were six months ago." Still closed to allow for proper grooming, the North Huron club — which includes Clinton, Blyth, Colborne and St. Helen's — currently has 272 kilometres of trails marked for the season. And while there is an "element" of disappointment, Hill suggested local farmers are more angry than dis- couraged. Little has been done to implement a risk -manage- ment program that would put Canadian farmers on a level playing field with their U.S. counterparts. Hill also noted Ontario farmers had yet to receive their share of the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) funding from the province. "Last year, we were able to manifest our anger through public demonstrations, but because those demonstrations did nothing other than attract atten- tion, we're not likely to do that again," Hill said. "This year, we'll be manifesting our anger in the polling booth, the next opportunity we get."