Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2012-10-31, Page 1014 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, November 16, 2011 NextEra plans to connect Bluewater wind project to Seaforth transmission station Zurich -area wind Aff project proposes 24-37 37 industrial turbines Susan Hundertmark QM' Agency Because a 24-37 industrial wind tur- bine project planned for the Zurich area needs to connect to the Seaforth trans- mission station, the 15 kilometres of transmission line that will be located in Iluron East will be discussed at a public open house on Dec. 7 from 4-7 p.m. at the Seaforth community centre. NextEra Energy Canada representa- tives Nicole Geneau and Derek Dudek spoke at Huron East's Nov. 1 meeting spoke about their company, which gen- erates electricity throughout the United States and Canada with sister companies in Florida and 'Texas and their plans to build two wind projects In Bluewater and South Huron. 'The Bluewater Wind Energy Centre is planned to have up to 37 1.6 MW tur- bines between Bayfield and Zurich while the Goshen Wind Energy Centre is planned to have up to 63 industrial wind turbines between Zurich and Greenway Drive south of Grand Bend. A public open house will also be held in Varna at the Stanley Complex on Dec. 8 from 4-7 p.ne. "'Tete reason for the range of turbines is we're 'still sorting out which technology we're going to use," said Geneau, who added that NextEra is still working on the environmental studies needed to obtain a Renewable Energy Approval (REA) from the provincial government. "None of the turbines are proposed for 1 harem East but we plan to connect at the F4A11:21"".444ww:e Deck uic MaiYs at DUBLIN MERCANTILE � �QIIDflY 11 HOUSE Thursday, Nov 17'" lo Sunday. Noy. 211•, SPECIAL HOURS Nov. 17 9 atm - r> putt Nov. 18 9 am - 9 pin Nov. 19 9 ani - (, pin Nov. 20 12 t,n, - 5 pin • t iu r (4.J? with every put. haw • RelrerArnr"r..i I,.rr lint. • lh .i'hne 14J"'1 i amr�, n�mnurevll�u t Ontario Furniture Vi(�ge Cheek out mur• lur•,1;'t' S(rl('c•tiOn of * l 101111. Deco Furniture ('an(llcs Reed I )it't'usc'rs Christmas I )taco Bedding Lamps Calendars 1;:11►� Purses il• 2�/11 It)11 i II 1lc'g,til:ur \ II ti:1lt' Priced Priced items! Items! 59 Mill St. Dublin, ON • 519-345-9922 4020004(1:uuuw the Detour signs) www.dublinmercantile.ca 1 111%1 t ►t 1 Seaforth transmission station and have to run lines through Huron East, she said. Geneau said all residents within half a kilometre.of the pro- posed transmission lines will receive a notice in the mail about the open house. Ads about the public meeting were published in last week's Huron Expositor. McKillop Coun. Bill Siemon asked if the transmission lines will follow municipal right of way or if they will "take up agricultural laced" Geneau answered that while the company is hoping to use municipal right of way, it will need to cooperate with other util- ities using poles that were built in the 1960s and 70s. "It is a challenge but we're open to feedback," she said. "Where there is an opportunity to cooperate with hydro One, we will work on that with them" Siemon also asked if NextEra is receiving a larger financial incen- tive to locate industrial wind tur- bines in Ontario than in the United States. Geneau said that with the large amount of natural gas in Texas, the price of energy is very low but added that NextEra wind turbines received $1.50 per Kwh for three weeks during some "major icing events" in Texas. "We made more in three weeks that we would in one year in Ontario," she said. She added that the 20 -year contract set up with the Ontario government doesn't exist in the open market in Texas where "the price changes every five minutes." After Geneau talked about Nex- tEra's contribution to economic development in regions where it locates energy projects, Deputy - Mayor foe Steffler asked how 1 luron East will benefit. "What's in it for the local peo- ple?" he asked. Geneau said landowners who lease their property to NextEra to locate industrial wind turbines will receive an annual income, t luron East will receive municipal taxes on the transmission lines and the company offers a "com- munity vibrancy fund" to be used for projects related to the envi- ronment and recreation. She said the fund pays $5,000 per kilom- eter of transmission line. "We've done the math and we know that what the lower tier will get in taxes is not going tt,40 blow your socks off -- it's fairly minor. But, with the community vibrancy fund, you'd receive $75,000 a year over and above the taxes Huron East receives," she said. Geneau added that there are expected to be 200 construction jobs during the year the wind projects are constructed and six to eight permanent jobs related to the Bluewater wind project. An operations centre, built some- where between the two wind projects will involve 15- 18 pertu- neat jobs. Clerk -Administrator brad Knight said after the meeting that Huron East administration had met with NextEra during the sum- mer and will still have to go through a consultation process with the company to discuss where the transmission lines will be located. "We have sotile understanding of what is proposed but we still have to sit down with them and negotiate' he said. Surprise safety inspections at AMDSB schools Ministry of Labour inspecting schools across province Rita Marshall Special to Lakeshore Advance 'Ihree high schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMI)SB) received surprise safety inspections from the Ministry of Labour in the last few weeks.At the Nov. 8 AMDSB meeting, Jodie Baker, superintendent of educa- tion, human resources, told trus- tees that South Huron District lligh School (SI11)1IS), Listowel District Secondary School (I.DSS) and Stratford's Northwestern Sec- ondary School (SNSS) had their science and tech facilities inspected. The inspections are part of a province -wide move to monitor safety in Ontario high schools fol- lowing the tragic May 2011 death of Eric Leighton, a student at Mother Teresa High School in Ottawa. The 18 -year-old died in a tech shop explosion. Baker said the inspectors made several recommendations includ- ing relocating eve wash stations, improving safety guards on machines and ensuring lockout capabilities on all machines. Other minor issues included repairing some outlets and box covers, she added. Baker told trustees that as soon as the first inspection at SHIM IS was conducted, AMDSB staff formed it safety audit committee to perform an audit of all AMDSB secondary schools. Baker said the plan is to con- duct annual inspections every year in the fall. Board staff had already begun discussing tech equipment and revised tech safety guidelines in September. Safety guidelines for science labs will also be completed, she said. The ministry inspectors were pleased with the actions the AMDSB had taken, reported Baker, and offered to work with the board on timelines and extended timelines if needed. Director of Education Ted Doherty added that the generous timelines the MO1. gave the AMDSB to implement improvements suggests that there are no dangers imminent to staff or students. "'I he fact that they diel not issue any immediate orders that caused us to shut dowse any of our wort areas we found was a very posi- tive outcome," he said, "because that is very much a potential when the Ministry of Latour visits.' Baker said so far accidents at the AMDSB have been limited to minor injuries, such as cuts. ,01 .114 Student trustee Manna Coney- beare, a tech student at LDSS, credited the lack of serious inju ries in AMDSB classrooms to teachers and students handling potentially dangerous machines and materials responsibly. She said that at the beginning of the year teachers go over safety guide- lines "thoroughly" with students and constantly monitor them. Asked if more AMDSB schools would be inspected, Baker said that although she believed the inspections were over, inspectors may decide to return. "Butt if they do, we'll be ready," she said.