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Lakeshore Advance, 2013-04-24, Page 9• Bluewater asks County Health Unit for health study on wind turbines Melissa Murray The Clinton News Record At Bluewater's April 2 meet- ing, councillors passed a motion to ask the Huron County I lealth Unit to under- take an independent health study on industrial wind turbines. In a phone interview last week, Councillor John Gillespie said the request would take the form of a letter to the health Unit, which will be trade public after mnici- pal staff draft it. "We'll wait and see what comes from the health Unit," he said adding, the organiza- tion's mandate says it will investigate concerns of the community through research studies, but ultimately it will be up to the organization to decide if it is something they can do. "It was an idea I had in rela- tion to the role of what the I lealth Unit might be able to do in relation to industrial wind turbines," explained Gillespie. Ai It was an idea I had in relation to the role of what • the Health Unit might be able to do in relation to industrial wind turbines — Councillor John Gillespie "With the mounting evi- dence locally and in south- western Ontario with resi- dents living close to wind turbines having issues like sleep deprivation because of low frequency noise and shadow flicker, I thought it would be good to examine the issue on a broader scale," he said. Bluewater has three wind turbine developments pro- posed for the municipality, which are at various stages in the Ministry of the Environ- ment's renewable energy approval process. "It was appropriate to ask under the circumstances," he added. While council was fully sup- portive of the notice of motion brought up last month, Gillespie said the motion was not passed unanimously because of concern about the cost for undertaking such a major study. With other municipalities and research institutions looking into the effects of Industrial Wind Turbines on residents' health, Gillespie felt it would be important for the area to have a local study of their own residents. "'Phis continues to he a big issue and we need more infor- mation" he said. Dr. Nancy Cameron, from the Huron County Health Unit, said they have received the request from Bluewater and they will he putting together a report to go before their board at the May `) meet- ing because the request is out- side the scope of their day-to- day work. "It would require additional staff and funding. We are a very small health unit and we're not a research centre," she said in a phone interview. The I lealth !)nit's position has been to support the work of Dr. Arlene King, Chief Med- ical Officer of 1 lealth Ontario, who has found through her review no evidence of a link between turbines and adverse health affects. Studies like the one Bluewater is asking for are usually done by provincial health organizations because they have the research capa- bilities, Cameron explained. President of Bluewater Against 'Turbines, Dave Grif- fiths, applauded the move by Bluewater council, especially because he and his members are losing faith in the outcome of the federal health study that was announced last summer to be completed in 2104. "That study is a joke. We don't know where they are going with the questions and people are really upset," he said. While some wind turbine CONTINUED > PAGE 27 WUGH (EVENT Wednesda ' r1l 24 2013 2013 F-150 XLT SUPER CAB 4X4 11AI1 101 ONLY $588A02.88%"" P11 MONIS ION 11 MOMS WITH $0 DOWN PAYMENT. onto INCIUOII 11,000 1N MANUPAOTUNIN RIIA1^1 AND 1110 CUSTOM IVINI CALM AL1t'NATMVt 01110 "IMO'S 1AX1/. "WITH BEST -IN -CLASS POWER, PAYLOAD AND TOWING -150ANSWER: • Lakeshore Advance 9 IN MANUFACTURER REBATES Ott 410SI NI W !1111 IPUI . TOWARDS FORD CUSTOM ACCESSORIES ON MOSI NIW :012 7U11 INTI( P'1 OR STEP UP TO AN F-150 XLT SUPER CREW 4X4 5.01 FOR OMR INCIUDIS SR,S0011 MANUTACIURIN RIRAIIS AND 4150 1N CUSTOM IVINT CASH ALT1NNATIV1 0111N IXCLUOIS TAXIS. COMES LOADED WITH: • 11 MACHINIO PAINT1D • NM STARILIIY CONTROL • ALUMINUM WRITS WITH TRAIIIR SWAY CONTROL • S 01 VII INOINI • SYNC' P1.lhnuni motto' tot t hu ,tilvPIUtotl I+ntot int lotto 1 ro.4ht An Ia. I'1'•.A anti Tho t )nlnn.. I ntn.aennnial thm0o Add d.'Mrr IIII011110.1111111,11 and foQnUe11o,, foal of on to 1149. Nei 11l (1t4101, of U) to ILO Aoki 4144/11(111110 1/111111 Ihrn drtva nwav CO aD IT'S BACK!. ELIGIBLE COSTCO MEMBERS IMMIWNONISALfir RECEIVE AN ADD ONAL ,o ON MOST NLW 7011 AND 1014 MODI11 Make your truck your own during the Built Ford Tough Event. Only at your Ontario Ford store or at ontarloford.ca '' q1..1.1.!iilbl. .t,11 F�Ct.Lt914110 Il a�b°rJL lu I�ft, t Yr r ,( ll i !!1!:?"1.t et' Ig.! t 4Reih il, j N• . qgt° r'tgi'P'R.. I,'• .f 3 N ; 1 :tsi;1��kr ini? :A,11 %''i;1 VII!O Iiii4RIMi 42!!!!!!! q "i 1 nuc A la T :::::::X::: i Iiiiiillil! � �£i II: '; F 3' H tit � •Iynq j .. v, "4$ :11 �• ' ,,•, A!.. �w,,``p,' Jgtl .ilii :;:ill• AT:;!1:fti0M 0 111 WritlirR) 11114C400