HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-12-04, Page 9WetteBc#ayy.DecemPer,40291(3 • bale.vhore,Advance 9
WIND TURBINE:
Lambton County will spend $20,000 to join legal battle before Ontario's Environmental Review libunai
OMI Agency
In a potentially precedent -setting
move, Lambton County council will
financially back a legal battle before
Ontario's Environmental Review
Tribunal in an attempt to Iutlt wind
turbine construction.
After months of debate and staff
reports, county politicians narrowly
voted 17-16 Wednesday in favour of
spending $20,000 to become a pre-
senter in Environmental Review
Tribunal (ERT) cases involving
I luron County families who are
challenging further wind develop-
ment near their homes.
Local anti -wind activists, who
packed county council chambers
Wednesday, erupted with applause
after the recorded vote was tallied.
"I'm still in shock," said Elizabeth
Bellavance, of
We're Against industrial Turbines
Plyntpton-Wyoming (WAIT -PW). "1
can't believe we got it:'
Fellow WAIT -PW member 1)avid
Bartlett saki he wasn't sure where
the group's request stood after
months of debate mound the coun-
cil table.
"When 1 reflected back on the
proceedings of the past council
nue sting , I didn't think we had mach
chance, he said.
Members of WAIT -PW had ini-
tially asked council to become
involved in a civil case concerning a
(;oderich-based family and one
wind turbine developer. l lowever,
they refined their request to ask for
council's support in front of the
Environmental Review Tribunal.
That means council will now be
able to state their concerns about
the health impacts of wind turbines
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Steve Arad
Peter GINBand
Bev MacDougall
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John *Codes
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Dave
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Todd Case
Jim Pabst*
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to the tribunal - the body responsi-
ble for wind turbine appeals from
landowners.
It isn't clear yet %vim will repre-
sent council at the proceedings.
County councillors remained
divided Wednesday on whether tax-
payer money should be spent on a
rase outside its jurisdiction.
While the county may benefit
from a ruling, county solicitor David
Cribbs said the specific tribunal
decision wouldn't likely halt wind
development across Ontario.
"it's more likely, I think, that a
decision by the ERT would hold
itself to the cases before it," he said.
I le also remained skeptical that
$20,000 will cover the application
process and lawyer's fees.
1 don't think $20,000 is going to
bring us through the ERT," Cribbs
said.
'lioronto lawyer Julian Falconer,
who provided the estimate, cur-
rently represents three cases before
the tribunal.
The county may also be out of
time to apply to list its health-related
concerns to the tribunal as a pre-
senter, Cribbs said.
Proceedings have already begun
in two of the three cases.
If the time to apply has elapsed,
county council would instead give
$20,000 to iuni-wind turbine groups
involved in the process.
Bellavance believes the county
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has a shot at still becoming involved in
the cases.
Members of WAIT -1 ►W successfully
became presenters on one oldie HIT cases
late in the game, she saki.
"'Me chance is there."
But expect resistance from the Ministry of
the Environment and wind companies
involved in the proceedings, she said.
"'They will attempt to keep the
county out:"
Bellavance credited the work of support-
ers who sent mails and placed calls to
county councillors before Wednesday's
vote.
She believes council's decision may
inspire other Ontario municipalities to
become involved at tribunal hearings.
"Lambton County is showing leadership
on this issue," she saki.
Plynpton-Wyoming Mayor Lonny Nap-
per also served a notice of notion to label
latbton (:aunty an unwilling host of wind
turbines. The notion will come up for fur-
ther discussion in the new year.
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