HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-08-10, Page 22 News Record • Wednesday, August 10, 2016
President of Wind Concerns Ontario appeals to Huron County
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Justine Alkema Clinton News Record
Lash Envy & Spa moved down the road last week to a bigger location to make room for their
growing business. They are now located on 70 Albert Street in Clinton.
Justine Alkema
Clinton News Record
Conversations surround-
ing the Huron County Board
of Health's investigation into
industrial wind turbines
(IWT) are ongoing. Most
recently Jane Wilson, Presi-
dent of advocacy group
Wind Concerns Ontario,
gave a presentation to the
board on August 4.
In March, the board had
posted an announcement on
their website about a study
they planned to carryout
regarding the health impacts
of IWTs, and people began to
sign up. However several
months later, they paused
the study. They said they
were unsure of the costs of
the endeavor and were con-
cerned they didn't have the
resources to ensure the
study was done effectively
and is actionable. Not long
after, the staff member who
was to carry out the study
was let go.
This caused ripples
through the community and
was particularly upsetting
for individuals who were
strongly advocating for this
study to happen.
During the board's June
meeting, the board dis-
cussed a potential opportu-
nity to partner with the Uni-
versity of Waterloo (UW) for
a study. This was again a
strong theme at the meeting
on August 4, and two profes-
sors from UW were present
at the meeting.
Wilson explained that
Wind Concerns Ontario is a
coalition that is concerned
about IWTs' effects on the
economy, natural environ-
ment and human health. She
gave a ten-minute presenta-
tion covering a variety of
areas including conclusions
of other studies and gaps in
other studies and various
kinds of noise, both audible
and inaudible, and how they
affect people.
She also explained more
about what a study with UW
would look like.
Wind Concerns would do
the community outreach
and the fundraising, and UW
would provide the con-
tracted professionals to do
the actual noise measure-
ment. The department they
are looking to work with
from UW is the School of
Public Health and Health
Systems.
"We aim to keep costs to a
minimum," said Wilson.
"The funding for this project
will be done through fund-
ing and donations:'
Wilson said to the board
that the minimum involve-
ment they are looking for
from them is access to the
noise complaints they had
already received from peo-
ple in Huron County. The
board had set up a place for
people to submit confiden-
tial complaints, and Wilson
said these are the kinds of
people they would like to
contact to ask for their par-
ticipation in the study. So the
board would have to recon-
nect with the people who
sent in the complaints and
ask them for their permis-
sion to give that confidential
information to Wind
Concerns.
"What caught our interest
is we needed a step one; how
do we get the names of some
people to work with, and
Huron County had already
started that," said Wilson.
"So that's why we're here
today, to ask them if they
could continue that work,
and we would be their part-
ner." She mentioned,
however, that sharing those
names are a minimum con-
tribution, and suggested
other ways for their staff to
get involved.
The study will include at
least six houses. First, they
would get the names and
complaints from those who
submitted those to Huron
County. Then, they would
look through those com-
plaints to find appropriate
subjects and record their
symptoms. They would then
measure noise in and
around their homes.
Wilson said other studies
have just looked at noise in
one room, but they will look
in many locations in the
home. They will also meas-
ure the homes in many sea-
sons and in different
weather conditions. In the
past, they have measured the
home once, but Wilson said
it's important to track the
house for a while to get a
more accurate picture. This
would likely take at least a
year.
Bluewater Mayor Tyler
Hessel, who is also the chair
of the Board of Health, spoke
on behalf of MOH Dr.
Maarten Bokhout who was
absent at the meeting. Bok-
hout wanted to emphasize
that a partnership with Uni-
versity of Waterloo was a key
aspect of this undertaking.
The board passed a
motion at the end of the
meeting to recommend a
partnership, but it isn't
quite official at this point.
Their motion including look-
ing into their staff workload
to make sure they could han-
dle this extra task, and they
will revisit the subject at
their September meeting.
LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5
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Albert
Clinton
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