As previously reported by Renewable Energy Magazine Ian Hanna, 56, operator of an Ontario-based wine importing business, argues in his lawsuit that the provincial government wasn’t fully informed when it concluded industrial wind turbines could exist 550 meters away from the nearest home.
Hanna and his supporters say there is no medical evidence to support the decision and are asking a Superior Court judge to halt all wind development until a full medical study is performed.
However, the government acted first, announcing that it would not go ahead with off-shore wind projects to generate electricity, saying there's too little evidence on how they may affect people's health.
“Fresh water wind turbines are something that's relatively new, and the Ministry of the Environment needs a level of comfort on the science before they can approve any further consideration of them,” said Energy Minister Brad Duguid.
"On-shore, there's 30 or 40 years of peer-reviewed science ... there's no evidence of health impacts from on-shore wind, but off-shore wind is completely different," he maintained.
Opponents of the giant wind turbines are now pressing the government to also place a moratorium on new on-shore wind energy projects, citing complaints of headaches, nausea and other symptoms people who live near them believe are caused by the giant turbines.
No Renewable Energy Approvals for offshore have been issued and no offshore projects will proceed at this time. Applications for offshore wind projects in the Feed-In-Tariff program will no longer be accepted and current applications will be suspended.
Offshore wind in freshwater lakes is early in development and there are no projects operating in North America.
The recently installed Lake Vanern pilot project in Sweden is one of the only operational freshwater offshore projects in the world and a pilot project has been proposed in Ohio in the US.
Ontario officials said they will monitor these projects and the resulting scientific knowledge. Further, the officials said will work with its US neighbours on research to ensure any future proposed projects protect the environment on both sides of the Great Lakes.
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