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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-08-12, Page 9News The Huron Expositor • August 12, 2009 Pogo 9 County sends Green Energy Act concerns to province Susan $gndertmark While they've missed the July 24 deadline. to respond to the province's Green. Energy Act, Huron County councillors voted Aug. 5 to let the province know their concerns about setbacks for wind turbines. Coun. Bill Siemon (Huron East) said he was concerned that the Green Energy Act doesn't address the situa- tion when wind turbines are located close to a municipal boundary. • "A wind project could be stopping someone from building on property in a neighbouring municipality and you're encroaching on their rights," he said. • Huron County planner Scott 'Thu - saw responded that while he too did not see a requirement in the Act to notify abutting municipalities, the requirement to notify the public about planned wind projects in the local newspaper would prevent a new wind project from ever being a surpriseto those nearby. It would be very unusual to have something snuck up by them," said Zbusaw. Coun. Bill Dowson (Bluewater) said that since the provincial Act will supersede all municipal regulations, hedoubted the province is concerned about municipal boundaries. "I don't think municipal boundar- ies are going to mean a thing to these guys," he said. Coun. Ben Van Diepenbeek (ACW) said he was concerned about wind turbine setbacks t� hamlets and vil- lages, adding that the 550 metres currently recommended in the Green Energy Act is not enough. "Probably they should be at least one kilometre away from any village or hamlet. If they don't, they are go- ing to have a lot of people complain- ing," he said. • Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East) responded that there should be no distinction between setbacks in rural and urban areas. "If it's too close to someone in a hamlet, it should be too close for anyone there shouldn't be. a differ- ence between them. Don't treat ru- ral residents as second class citizens over someone who lives in an urban area," said MacLellan. • Dowson said urban areas should be treated differently only because mu- nicipalities have spent a lot of money building up infrastructure and he said he is concerned that wind tur- bines that are too close to urban ar- eas will limit their growth. Coun. Dave Johnston (Bluewater) agreed saying that setbacks should be measured from a municipal boundary, not from the nearest home since municipalities have set aside land for future development. "There are a lot of vacant lots that have the potential for development in the future that need to be account- ed for," added Van Diepenbeek. Coun. Joe Seili (Huron East) re- minded councillors that as they lobby 'to push wind turbines further away from Huron County's villages and towns, the wind industry will be lobbying to move them closer. "The biggest thing, even in the province's eyes., is there are people with objections," he said, adding that the public meeting held about the Green Energy Act regulations he at- tended in Port Elgin was "a big fluff - off of ratepayers' concerns." "I'm for green energy but I want safe and effective green energy," he said. Seili stressed that even though the deadline for public comment is passed, Huron County should still ' send the province its concerns. Tousaw agreed saying that while the province is probably in the pro- • cess of wading through thousands of comments from the public, the coun- ty should still send its comments. The motion to do so was passed unanimously. Huron East endorses terms of reference for study on wind turbine setacks Huron East council endorsed its terms of reference for a study on proper setbacks for wind turbines at its Aug. 4 meeting. "We're supposed to be doing a study on the distance of wind turbines to the point of reception," Clerk -Admin- istrator Jack McLachlan reminded council while presenting terms of reference. An interim control bylaw coun- cil passed on June 16 restricts any new approvals of commercial wind turbines for one year while the mu- nicipality conducts a study on proper setbacks. McLachlan's report said staff and county planners have met twice to discuss planning issues,including the required study. The terms of reference timeline shows a review of the Green Energy Act in June and July of 2009, a fi- nalized terms of reference in August WAWANOSH BY MOONLIGHT Join us for an evening hike at the Wawanosh Nature Centre Wednesday, August 19 O 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. O Free Admission 0 Please bring a flashlight 0 Children must be accompanied by an adult. n Wawanosh is located north of Auburn, east of County Rd. 22 For information visit www.mvca.on.ca or call the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority at 519 335,3557. .R. FEAR APIE4RIES INC. We flow have fresh homey available la our eoatalaers or bring your owl, aiid save some mosey. We have homy, beeswax, honey basksi*, Mrd beeswax mulles RR2 Whigh..,' rn.37J566 • of 2009, and a review of existing set- backs and transition regulations un- til May of 2010. The review will include looking at setbacks from houses on neighbour- ing property, setbacks from houses on the same property as the turbine, setbacks from lot lines, setbacks from vacant lots zoned for residential de- velopment, setbacks from livestock barns, consideration for the expan- sion of urban areas, greater setbacks for higher numbers of proposed turbines, average sizes of turbines for average households,the size of turbines needed to service an aver- age farm, setbacks from transformer stations to residences and setbacks from natural areas. Before June of 2010, council plans to identify possible actions or amend- ments to Huron East's regulations. By Susan Hundertmark Plan to: attend u°�°N�� ql� 4/# REACH's Agricultural GRAND OPENING Saturday, September 12, 2009 169 Beech Street, just north of Clinton Raceway Doors open from 10 am to 6 pm Admission is FREE Just some of the attractions include: • Demonstrations including • a Riding Clinic with Lindsay Grice • The Horse Health Check • Shoeing a Horse • Driving a Standardbred • Seminars including • Local Foods by Huron County Health • Gaited Horses • Equine Massage Activities are scheduled throughout the day. Programs will be available soon at www.reachhuron.ca We stilthave outdoor spaces available forparticipant displays. If your group would like to be involved please contact REACH at 519 482 3998