Township seeks way to stop fill

Concerns raised in a Scugog Standard story last week have municicpal and provincial officials looking into landfill practices at a Scugog property.

Township staff are looking into whether or not operations at a clean fill site along Lakeridge Rd. can be stopped, after consideration that the permit may have been “issued in error” in contradiction of environmental regulations, according to planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier.

The decision came after discussion and the passing of a new fill and site alteration bylaw at this week’s council meeting, following discussion regarding similar sites around the township. At recent meetings, staff and council have attributed the current increase of such fill sites to both a weak Scugog bylaw and the tightening up of fill rules in neighbouring municipalities.

According to Mr. Chartier, the township may have erred by issuing a permit to an operation located within the borders of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is subject to stringent environmental regulations. Mr. Chartier said that a legal opinion is now being sought by the township before taking any steps toward revoking the permit, adding that if the opinion is “cut and dry,” the township will likely “act on the bylaw’s provision.” The site is governed under the provisions of the township’s old fill bylaw and subject to any penalties contained within.

The new bylaw will now feature a ‘blanket restriction’ on fill dumps within the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a handful of exceptions, including site alteration directly related to building permits issued by the township or for purposes such as agriculture.

Concerns about the quality of fill being dumped at the Lakeridge Rd. site arose after residents alleged that questionable items were amongst the truckloads of fill being deposited there.

According to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson Kate Jordan, an inspector was sent to the site last week to conduct an investigation of the fill content after receiving a complaint from the township, but found no evidence of chemical contamination or other material not permitted in clean fill.

However, photos obtained by The Scugog Standard, allegedly taken of the site last weekend, show items such as PVC piping, cinder blocks, crushed chemical drums and plastic chemical pails clearly sticking out of the piles of fill allegedly on the property.

The site discussed, located along Lakeridge Rd. south of Regional Rd. 21, is maintained by Earthworx Industries, which advertises the property as a ‘clean fill dump site’ with a heliport. To date, no stop order has been issued and no illegal or improper fill has been confirmed by the MOE at the site.

Link: Township seeks way to stop fill 

Relay supports Oak Ridges Moraine

The Moraine for Life Adventure Relay has something for both veteran adventure racers and weekend warriors looking for a brand new challenge.

On June 20, the Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) hosts the fourth annual Moraine for Life Adventure Relay. The non-stop relay team event kicks off from Church Hill Road in Gore's Landing on Rice Lake at 7:30 a.m. then stretches west 160 kilometres to wrap up at King City between 7 p.m. and midnight. All proceeds go to the ORTA to help protect the moraine's healthy ecosystem and heritage, extend the Oak Ridges Trail and encourage responsible land use.

"We have grown from seven participating teams three years ago to 33 this year, making this one of the largest events of its type in Canada," stated relay committee chairman, Brian Millage. "It's also a cross moraine-supported race, with teams representing communities from Peel, York, Durham and Northumberland all challenging last year's winning ream from Uxbridge, the Trail Capitol of Canada."

The course is divided into 14 relay stages of varying distances consisting of water, road and trail portions. With the exception of the two-person canoe stage, one team member will complete each stage; however, people may do multiple stages. Teams may consist of up to 15 members. Times will be recorded for each stage and the team with the lowest cumulative time wins. In the spirit of adventure, participants must be self-sufficient. Each participant is responsible for bringing and transporting whatever supplies (equipment and nutritional) they may require during their stage.

For additional information or to donate, visit www.oakridgestrail.org or www.moraineadventure.com.

Link: Northumberland News

407 extension will take seven years

MP Dean Del Mastro says it will be built, but admits he’s annoyed that federal government has no say in the timeline

It’s going to take seven years and $8 billion to extend Highway 407 50 kilometres to Highway 115, creating about 13,000 jobs.

MPP Jeff Leal says the project has been broken into two phases, with the first phase finishing at Simcoe Street in Oshawa in 2015.

No one expected the environmental assessment to take two and a half years, he says, which is why the roadwork is taking so long, but he states the assessment is now complete for both phases.
The connection to Highway 115 has moved south, MPP Leal adds, to deal with environmental issues when going through the Oak Ridges Moraine. He expects the two highways to connect near Durham Concession 8.
“It does present some environmental challenges,” he says.

MPP Leal notes the original 407 was built in three phases.

As the community continues to grow, he says the will be more of a need for the highway.
“It’s in all of our best interests,” he says.

If MP Dean Del Mastro could make it move ahead quicker by showing up with a shovel, he says he would.
“I think there’s going to be a number of folks disappointed,” he says of the time line.

Despite supplying half the funds, he says it’s frustrating to not have any say over putting it to use.
But, he emphasizes the extension will be completed as it’s critical to both the function of Highway 407 and critical for the region to give businesses access to markets and make up for the region’s infrastructure deficit.
For now, he says local businesses will deal with seven more years of traffic jams when heading into the Toronto area.

“Ultimately, it needs to be built,” he states.

This region, he says, has not received the same advantages in infrastructure as other comparable places. There are four main aspects to infrastructure, he says: highways, airports, rail, and broadband. We’ve done well in some areas, but are lacking in others, like rail, he adds.

In the coming weeks, he expects to release more information about his independent study of the Metrolinx report on bringing passenger rail service to Peterborough.

“I think people are going to be encouraged,” he says.

Link: http://www.mykawartha.com/news/article/833469--407-extension-will-take-seven-years

Rural Clarington residents want say on proposed wind farms

Residents are bracing for possible winds of change in Clarington.

Two wind farm proposals are being considered in Clarington, which has some rural residents concerned about the consequences of wind turbines in their area.

"We are smack dab in the middle of both sites," said Heather Rutherford, who lives in Kirby. "We live on a farm and our kids are the fourth generation to live on this farm. It's a property that's important to the family, not just valuable but a lot of sentimental history."

Ms. Rutherford is the spokesperson for 'Clarington Wind Concerns', a group of local citizens who live in the study area of the wind farms.

The two wind farms, one by Energy Farming called ZEP Wind Farm Ganaraska and the other by Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy are both in the early stages.

ZEP Wind Farm Ganaraska is studying the area from Mosport Park to Kendalwood Park to see if it's suitable for a wind farm. Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy is considering the land from Kirby to Port Granby.

"It's really important for us to be in complete harmony with residents in this project. We take noise and concerns very seriously," said Ariel Bautista, Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy project coordinator.

Ms. Rutherford said residents are worried about possible health impacts, from sleep disturbance to migraines. With Kirby Public School in the middle of the study area, the group is concerned about whether the turbines could impact developing children. They are also worried about disrupting the natural habitat on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The noise is also a concern for the group. Provincial legislation has limited the noise from wind turbines to 40 decibels. Ms. Rutherford has concerns about how the noise level can be measured and the restrictions enforced.

Residents are also concerned their property values could decline.

"We're really concerned about the health effects. We're really concerned about our kids. We're protecting our kids," said Ms. Rutherford. "I don't want these in my backyard, but I don't want them in your backyard either, until they can prove it won't harm families."

But studies have found no direct link between wind turbines and health impacts, said Mr. Bautista. Over time property values around wind farms remain similar or even increase slightly, according to the project manager.

Mr. Bautista said Clarington Wind Farm Leader Energy is proposing a small 10-megawatt project. He said the wind turbines will be set back from homes beyond the 550 metres the Province mandates. At that distance the wind turbines Leader Energy plans to use will be no louder than the hum of a quiet office, he added.

The turbines will produce green energy and setbacks mean the project will protect the agricultural land from urban sprawl, according to Mr. Bautista. The company is consulting with conservation authorities to arrange the final placement out of flight paths and away from streams.

"This is a community-owned project by Ontario residents," said Mr. Bautista. "We encourage people to approach us with their opinions. We do want to go forward transparently."

In an effort to create more renewable energy in Ontario, the Province passed the Green Energy Act last spring, which took control for these projects out of the hands of municipalities. The Province now approves new alternative energy and has control over safety regulations.

The doesn't mean local government has no involvement. The proponent has to consult with the municipality on municipal service connections, traffic management plans during construction and operation, rehabilitation of temporary disturbance areas and any municipal infrastructure damaged during construction, emergency management procedures and safety protocols and proposed site landscaping.

Clarington council asked for a staff report on the proposed wind farms.

"We know that wind turbines are the responsibility of the provincial government," said Councillor Charlie Trim. "In order to talk to residents it would be wise to have some details."

Council has no power to approve or reject a wind farm, if it meets provincial regulations. There is no need for a zoning change or other municipally regulated public review and approval process.

"We get to comment but our comments are quite limited," said Faye Langmaid, Clarington acting director of planning. "Our comments are limited to roads, service connections and other things like emergency procedures."

Residents will have more freedom to voice their concerns. Under Green Energy Act regulations, the project proponents must give public notice to neighbours within 1.5 kilometres of the proposed facility. The proponents also hold a community consultation meeting, so residents and interested parties can be consulted. ZEP held a community meeting last July at the Orono Town Hall. Leader Energy is expected to hold its first required public meeting this summer.

The proponents must show community consultation and explain how they tried to address residents' concerns, according to Ms. Langmaid.

'Clarington Wind Concerns' is inviting residents to a public information meeting on Thursday, June 10 at 7 p.m. at the Orono Arena. There will be several guest speakers, including Durham MPP John O'Toole, and a chance for the public to raise their concerns.

"A lot of people I speak to don't know the development is proposed for this area," said Ms. Rutherford.

The group is hoping the meeting will educate the public.

"We're hoping to facilitate a community discussion," said Ms. Rutherford. "There's been no discussion in our community until this point."

Rural Clarington residents want say on proposed wind farms

No Signs To Warn Motorists Of Reptile's Presence

NORTHUMBERLAND -- Residents of Cavan Road in Bewdley are concerned for the safety of the snapping turtles that nest on their street.

Cavan Road is situated in the Oak Ridges Moraine and is an officially protected wetland. Snapping turtles are one of the many species of wildlife that make their homes in the area, and this is the time of year when the females seek out sandy or gravelly areas to make their nests in. The turtles often make use of the gravel shoulders along roadways for this purpose, and every year such nests can be spotted on the sides of Cavan Road. They have even become a yearly topic of conversation for the residents of the area, according to one such man, Paul Clark.

"We always talk about how many turtles we have," he said. "It's quite a sight."

But there is obvious danger for the turtles and their young in choosing a spot so close to the roadway. The female turtles use their long term memory to return to the same nesting spot each year, regardless of the danger. Already this year, turtles have been crushed by passing vehicles during the nesting process. Just as damaging is when they are startled during the egg laying process, which leads to them becoming 'egg bound', a fatal condition that leaves them unable to pass the eggs inside of them.

The mortality rate of the snapping turtles, which are designated as a 'special concern species' under Ontario's Endangered Species Act of 2007, has motivated the residents of the street to try and help. Mr. Clark himself has been in contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources in the hopes of having signs placed on the road which will inform drivers of the turtles' presence. Accidents are inevitable, but if drivers are looking out for the turtles, they are less likely to happen.

The residents are also speaking out against a proposed ATV route that would include their stretch of Cavan Road, believing the presence of such vehicles would only heighten the danger for the beleaguered turtles.

The Cavan Street residents don't want to shut their area off to visitors, according to Mr. Clark, who points out that seeing the turtles could be an interesting tourism opportunity for some. They just want their visitors to keep an eye out for the animals and to show them the proper respect.

If the snapping turtles and their young are to survive, they will need that respect.

Source: Northumberland News

Governments feel the sting of private prosecutions

By Dianne Saxe


April 23 2010 issue


For most of the last 200 years, prosecution of those who break the law has been primarily a government prerogative. However, determined private prosecutors can enforce the law with more credibility and success than seemed possible a generation ago. And governments have been the principal targets.



Environmental Defence Canada recently succeeded in a private environmental prosecution against the Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC). ORC was convicted of breaching the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act after selling public land that contained the remains of a Huron longhouse, to build a Catholic cemetery. It was required by its class environmental assessment document to consult with First Nations representatives before disposing of land with First Nations cultural significance. Instead, ORC simply protected the longhouse with a heritage easement. The ORC was fined $7,500.



A few years earlier, the City of Hamilton pleaded guilty to private charges that it discharged toxic leachate from its Rennie Street landfill into Red Hill Creek, contrary to the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act is one of the few Canadian statutes that rewards private prosecutors; they get one-half of any fine imposed. (The other half goes to the Crown.)



The private charges shamed the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) into laying their own, and provoked the city into funding a massive cleanup ($8 million). Justice Casey imposed the lion’s share of the fine ($300,000) on the private prosecutor’s charge, resulting in a payment to them of $150,000. The city was fined another $150,000 (plus a $37,500 victim fine surcharge) on the MOE’s charge, and was ordered to implement a plan to prevent future discharges.



Admittedly, private prosecutions have a much lower success rate than public prosecutions. Most private prosecutions are ultimately withdrawn or dismissed. In part, this is because public prosecutors (i.e. the government) have the right to take over any private prosecution and discontinue it; or to take over the prosecution and continue it; or to allow it to continue.



For example, the attorney general took over and withdrew charges by Jim Robb against York Region for alleged violations of the Fisheries Act in building the York Durham Sewage System (known as the “Big Pipe”). In order to construct the controversial $870 million sewage pipe, the region dewatered parts of the huge Oak Ridges Moraine aquifer, drying up wells, creeks, and fish habitat. There was far more environmental impact than originally predicted, and the region did not obtain either a federal environmental assessment or a Fisheries Act permit for the dewatering.



Some prosecutions by the British Columbia Fraser River Waterkeepers have also been taken over and dismissed.



Still, even prosecutions that fail to result in convictions can have an impact. In R. v. MOE, the private prosecutor charged the MOE with failing to stop arsenic leaking from the abandoned Moira River gold mine. The MOE had taken over Ontario’s most contaminated site as a “remediator of last resort” in 1979. By 1997, it had not complied even with its own certificate of approval. The MOE was acquitted after a long trial, for reasons that remain unclear and certainly would not have amounted to due diligence for other defendants. But if not for these charges, the remediation funding might well have been cut again.



Janet Fletcher provoked millions of dollars’ worth of corrective work by laying private charges against the City of Kingston for oozing landfill leachate into the Cataraqui River. Both the city and the MOE had known about this for years, but neither had done anything about it. Once the private charges were laid, the MOE was shamed into action, and quickly levelled their own charges against the city and its Director of Environmental Services. The city then began an aggressive (and overdue) campaign to contain and treat the leachate. Although the Court of Appeal set aside the convictions on Fletcher’s charges, this was a major success, and led to similar charges and a guilty plea by the City of Moncton.

The Lake Ontario Waterkeeper also claimed a hard-earned victory when it withdrew charges of mercury pollution against DTE Energy, in exchange for a U.S. government pledge to take action on mercury emissions from coal plants (see www.waterkeeper.ca/2007/03/08/edwards-v-dte-energy-information-page/).



Public prosecutors are less likely to discontinue a private prosecution today than they used to be, and are supposed to do so only when:

- there is so little evidence that there is no case to answer; or

- the prosecution is likely to damage the interests of justice.



But that is only the first step. A generation ago, if environmental groups escaped having their charges withdrawn by the attorney general, they received a cold welcome from the courts. In R v. Cyanamid Canada Inc., (1981) 11 CELR 31, where the judge had no choice but to convict, he showed his displeasure by imposing a $1 fine.



Today, private prosecutors get a lot more respect from the bench. As the Canadian Law Reform Commission put it:“This form of citizen/victim participation enhances basic democratic values while at the same time it promotes the general image of an effective system of administering justice within the Canadian state.”



Although private prosecution remains difficult and expensive, “how to” information is freely available (see www.e-b-i.net/ebi/guide.html) and several environmental groups are committed to it. For anyone with a controversial project, private prosecution remains a force to be reckoned with.



Dianne Saxe is an environmental law specialist and heads the environmental law boutique Saxe Law Office in Toronto.



Governments feel the sting of private prosecutions

A New Revelation: Wind Energy Needs Wind To Work

By Nick Loris

One of the common arguments made against wind power is that without government subsidies, mandates or tax credits, wind turbines would not be built. But even when companies do receive preferential treatment to build windmills, just because they’re built doesn’t mean they’re going to work. For that, there needs to be (drum roll, please)…wind! A report from Britain says:

“The analysis of power output found that more than 20 wind farms are operating at less than one-fifth of their full capacity. Experts say many turbines are going up on sites that are simply not breezy enough. They also accuse developers of ‘grossly exaggerating’ the amount of energy they will generate in order to get their hands on subsidies designed to boost the production of green power.

While it is possible some of the results were skewed by breakdowns, the revelation that so many are under-performing will be of great interest to those who argue that wind farms are little more than expensive eyesores. The analysis was carried out by Michael Jefferson, an environmental consultant and a professor of international business and sustainability. He believes that financial incentives designed to help Britain meet is green energy targets are encouraging firms to site their wind farms badly.”

In other wind farm news, although the event was called “exceptionally rare and highly unusual”, Europe’s largest wind farm had to be shut down because a 14-ton turbine snapped. It’s not the first time a windmill broke and fortunately no one was hurt. A turbine snapping is no reason to stop building windmills just as coal mining accidents are not reason to completely cut off our coal supply. Accidents happen in any industry and it’s a company’s job to learn from them and improve both quality and safety.

If businesses find it profitable to build supply energy in a variety of ways without government handouts, increased competition will only benefit the consumer. Yet, we’re being told we need to transition to a clean energy economy and that the United States needs to be the leader in building these technologies because, “the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation,” said President Obama in his State of the Union address. If renewable energy eventually competes in the marketplace, economist Don Boudreaux says, “So what if the Chinese are world-leading producers of such equipment? Specializing in the production of other goods and services – things that we produce more efficiently than the Chinese – we Americans can then buy solar panels and wind turbines from the Chinese for use in our homes and offices. The latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of the factories where the final assembly of such equipment occurs are irrelevant.” That’s not to say U.S. can’t be a leader in wind mill production, but market-based policies are the best way to ensure that America’s renewable energy production is as competitive as possible.

In addition, the cleanliness in the President’s mission to green our economy may be a bit over hyped. We not only use fossil fuels to make turbines but also provide back up power when the windmills don’t spin. Since it’s too costly to stop and start a power plant, wind simply creates more emissions. Or, as Todd Wynn of the Cascade Policy Institute points out, in some instances wind replaces CO2-free sources of energy, like hydroelectricity: “So when the wind blows, the dams stop generating electricity, and when the wind stops, the dams continue to generate electricity. So, in fact, wind power is just offsetting another renewable energy source. It’s not necessarily offsetting any fossil fuel generation.”

Wind may be economically viable in some parts of the United States, but we should let businesses and electricity consumers, not the government, decide that.

Contributing Author Nick Loris writes at The Heritage Foundation and he is a Research Assistant at The Heritage Foundation’s Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.

Read more informative articles at Heritage – The Foundry

A New Revelation: Wind Energy Needs Wind To Work « PA Pundits International.

Humber, Don rivers added to Greenbelt

Mayor David Miller today celebrated the imminent inclusion of Toronto’s Don and Humber River Valleys within southern Ontario’s protected Greenbelt, making them entirely untouchable by developers.

“There are still always attempts to encroach on this greenspace,” said Mr. Miller. “If you want to live in a city with these beautiful ravines, you have to protect them.”

Speaking from the banks of the Don River, a picturesque sight following this morning’s snowfall, Mr. Miller called Torontonians “great environmentalists” who want the greenspace mixed with their urban landscape protected from development.

On Tuesday, city council unanimously agreed to request the province add the two ravines to their protected greenbelt. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jim Bradley said the province will quickly approve the city’s request, making it the first greenbelt to cut through Toronto’s dense urban population.

“Ontarians wanted something better than unsustainable, sprawling development and the congestion and pollution it brings with it,” said Mr. Bradley.

Ontario’s Greenbelt includes 1.8 million acres of farmland, forests and watersheds, including areas in the Niagara escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine area. Toronto’s Rouge River park, east of Markham, is already protected.

The 37-kilometre-long Humber River and the 53-kilometre-long Don River would connect other areas of the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario.

Ontario’s Greenbelt plan celebrates its fifth anniversary this weekend. In 2008, the province developed criteria for municipalities who want to add land to the Greenbelt. Toronto will be the first region have an area added since then.

The city had already placed major limitations on construction in the flood plains, following 1954’s devastating Hurricane Hazel. This move, Mr. Bradley said, is more than just symbolic.

“This adds some permanency to that,” he said. “This area is provincially protected now.”

Mr. Bradley said the Greenbelt already “pays a lot of ecological bills” by cleaning the air and protecting agricultural farmland, adding it works out to be $2.6-billion in economic benefit.

Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/02/26/humber-don-rivers-added-to-greenbelt.aspx#ixzz0gjsHS8BN
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Humber, Don rivers added to Greenbelt - Posted Toronto.

Town loses appeal on golf course

Aurora has been handed another setback in its fight to stop a golf course and housing development on the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine.

Earlier this month, a divisional court dismissed an appeal by the town and local residents arguing a joint board hearing involving representatives of the Ontario Municipal Board and the Environmental Review Tribunal would be necessary to gauge the suitability of the Westhill Development, eyed for an area near Leslie Street and Bloomington Road.

Lebovic Homes plans to build an 18-hole golf course and 75 luxury homes on the site, but the application was denied by council in 2008.

Since then, the matter has bounced back and forth between the OMB and the divisional court with the former body denying a joint board hearing and the latter supporting its lack of jurisdiction to even order one.

As such, the divisional court has repeatedly said the OMB is the appropriate venue to address the myriad of concerns raised by the town and residents.

Undaunted by the recent divisional court ruling, Mayor Phyllis Morris said she and her colleagues have since ordered their counsel to launch another appeal.

It's important for the town to win the Westhill case, she said, as it could well prove precedent-setting for future developments on the moraine.

"The cost of doing this is expensive, but the cost of not doing it is far greater as far as the environment is concerned," she said.

At stake, according to Mrs. Morris, is the water upon which residents around the proposed development rely. It's a fight now two years and counting, Mrs. Morris said, adding the town isn't about to abandon citizens in need.

"If you were one of the landowners on well water, wouldn't you want your council to do whatever it could?" she said.

Residents adjacent to the Westhill development shouldn't have any fears about their water levels, Lebovic Enterprises executive vice-president of Lloyd Cherniak said.

The new homes would draw well water from a different aquifer, he said, adding golf course sprinklers wouldn't draw water from the ground at all, instead making use of collected rain water and treated wastewater from the 75 homes on the site.

"They never really understood the proposal, even though we tried to explain it to them," Mr. Cherniak said.

It's difficult to understand the position of those opposing the project as the only end they've achieved so far is delays, Mr. Cherniak said.

That said, developments, such as the divisional court ruling, aren't surprising, he added.

"How do you argue the OMB isn't qualified to deal with this? It's their mandate," he said. "For God's sake, at least half of Aurora is on the Oak Ridges Moraine as it is. The people objecting to us are on the Oak Ridges Moraine, too."

Despite arguments to the contrary, resident Susan Jones said she isn't convinced her well is safe.

She has one golf course to the north of her property and another proposed for the south. As a result, she is somewhat perplexed by the resistance of the various government bodies to holding a joint board hearing.

"We're still concerned about water usage and the environment," Ms Jones said. "I'm not sure if anyone knows for sure if local wells will be affected or not. There hasn't been any good science on the effect of all of this cumulative water-taking on the moraine.

"As it is now, I'm within walking distance of four golf courses here on Leslie Street."

Councillor Evelyn Buck, the lone member of council who voted against denying the Westhill application, said she's concerned by the cost to taxpayers for the various hearings and court appearance so far, especially since the OMB hearing dealing with the actual application has yet to take place.

Costs have been cited at $135,000 and rising, Ms Buck said, adding they will only continue to increase during a two or three-week OMB hearing, whenever it actually takes place.

She said she doesn't dispute the rights of residents who became involved in the battle, but questions why the town did.

"The residents retained (a lawyer) and they had a right to do that," she said. "Everyone has a right to protect their own interests."

Mr. Beaman said he has already filed a leave to appeal. Should it be granted, the case will next be heard at the Ontario Court of Appeals, but if denied, it will go back to the OMB for a hearing.

Either way, there likely won't be any progress in the case until fall.

York region - Town loses appeal on golf course.

MyKawartha Article: Wind turbine motion blows through school board

(LINDSAY) A round of applause rang out after public school board trustees agreed to support a community group's drive to have an independent study on the health effects of wind turbines conducted by the province.

More than a dozen members of the Manvers Gone With the Wind group were at the Lindsay education centre on Tuesday (Feb. 9) to hear how Trillium Lakelands District School Board trustees, via videoconference, would deal with a motion put forward by trustee Don Alton.

Energy Farming Ontario proposes to construct up to 30 wind turbines in the Bethany area. The Settlers Landing Snowy Ridge Wind Park project spans east to Porter Road, west to the Manvers-Scugog Line, north to Lifford Road and south to Telecom Road.

Two schools - Rolling Hills and Grandview public school - are within the proposed site. Concern for the safety of children attending the schools led the group to seek the school board's assistance in identifying possible health effects prior to development; echoing a letter sent to the board late last year by City of Kawartha Lakes council.

Since presenting it as a notice of motion on Jan. 26, Mr. Alton had amended the motion to remove 'in principle' and add a recommendation for greater setbacks around schools.

Trustee Elaine Beatty expressed concerns over the motion, asking for clarification as to if the motion was meant to potentially influence permit approvals.

She was assured this was not the intention of the motion.

"They just want to have the study done in advance," explained Mr. Alton.

Director of education Larry Hope also expressed concerns over removing 'in principle', citing, if the matter becomes a legal issue for Gone With the Wind, the school board could be liable for costs.

As a result, the words were returned to the motion.

The motion was further amended to remove the added statement regarding setbacks as well as sending a letter to more than a dozen agencies and individuals, as well as all MPPs, MPs, health unit medical officers, school boards and municipalities. Trustee Judy Saunders supported the latter change, citing there was no need to distribute the motion to so many others as it would be "on public record" if approved by the board.

"I would leave it there," she added.

All but one trustee - Ms Beatty - voted in favour of the much-adjusted motion.

While the motion must still be approved by the board at its Feb. 23 regular meeting, Heather Stauble, Gone With the Wind member, is pleased the local board has joined a growing number of schools boards and 48 municipalities in requesting the independent health study. She hopes the province will take notice, put a moratorium on further wind projects and calls for the study.

She cites potential health problems caused by wind turbines, including tinnitis, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation and headaches, the environmental impact on the Oak Ridges Moraine as well as livestock and wildlife, and the need for greater setbacks - the minimum is 550 metres but 1.5 kilometres is recommended - are key issues which need to be addressed before any permits are issued for the project.

"If they can solve all those problems and wind energy turns out to be the efficient solution we're being led to believe, then there may be a place in our infrastructure," said Ms Stauble. "There is a much greater cost to this than we realize. . . If people are going to become sick because these are too close to homes and schools, then it's too great a cost."

MyKawartha Article: Wind turbine motion blows through school board.

Climate change debate is overwhelming

To the Editor:

Re: 'Cause of climate change worthy of debate', guest column, Feb. 7.

The ongoing debate about man's role in climate change, at times, is more than just a little overwhelming.

The present cycling started about two-and-a-half million year ago and is continuing.

The last million years have been documented by drill cores from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, the CO2 content of the ice is related to the atmospheric temperature.

Man's role today may cause some fluctuations in the cycling, but that is an area of 'who knows?'.

Living here in Northumberland, we have a picturesque landscape due to the last glaciation, the Wisconsin, or in Europe, the Wuurm. The hills are mostly drumlins and the Oak Ridges Moraine gives us a northern border. This moraine is an interglobal moraine from the Wisconsin stadial.

For reasons unknown, many people believe that the 'Ice age' ended 10,000 years ago, but it did not, after the Arctic and Antarctic ice finish melting a new cycle will begin, or one can consider it just as a continuum.

The reasons why the cycling began is unknown, some people blame South America, but we had glaciation in the Precambrian, there is an argument that it is caused by events in outer space, whatever the cause it has been with us for a long time and will continue.

I have even been told the climate problems are more related to the hot air given off by various governments.

Richard E. Bridges

Cobourg

newsdurhamregion.com |Climate change debate is overwhelming

 

Millbrook water fight runs deeper

Residents in and around Millbrook have expressed substantial opposition to a proposed development of massive proportions in nearby Fraserville. Cavan Monaghan Township has planned an expansion to the Kawartha Downs casino, as well as nearly 700 homes, a golf course, big box stores, an entertainment complex, and so on. The crux of the issue is water; due to contamination of groundwater in Fraserville the township wants to pipe water from Millbrook's wells, 12 kilometres away.

One essential element missing from recent news reports is that two of Millbrook's three wells are within the protected area of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The moraine is a source of drinking water for more than a quarter million people. It acts as a giant filter for Southern Ontario, purifying water and then dispersing it into 65 rivers and streams that replenish the Southern Ontario lakes that millions more Ontarians draw their water from.

Earthroots actively pushed for protection for the Oak Ridges Moraine, which passed in 2001, and we are extremely concerned with this development. Under the Oak Ridges Moraine protection, Peterborough County is obligated to produce progressive water plans to safeguard and sustainably allocate moraine water resources, a requirement that has yet to be fulfilled. This fact forbids the county from allowing major developments like Fraserville. However, as the Fraserville development is not on the moraine it can legally draw its water from the moraine, exposing a giant loophole in the legislation.

People in Millbrook and surrounding area are literally losing sleep over concerns for their water. If the water table is lowered it could severely impact wells for miles around.

Township Reeve Neil Cathcart is on record as stating: "The whole thing of it is if you go back to its infancy, it was about bringing water to Fraserville for Kawartha Downs. That's still the goal of the township." This makes sense, as Kawartha Downs is a massive revenue generator for the township and likely does not want to pay for an expensive water treatment system. The township's justification for spending $30 million of public money to pipe water from the protected Oak Ridges Moraine to Fraserville and the casino is seemingly to construct a brand new city on what is now fields and forest.

But wait a minute! Shouldn't the province's award-winning Places to Grow plan preclude a new city in a rural area, without usable water? When Millbrook citizens contacted the Growth Secretariat they learned that applications for Fraserville were submitted months prior to the growth plan's enactment, giving it a pass on this integral legislation as well.

We are witnessing a complete breakdown in provincial policies aimed at stopping exactly this sort of unsustainable development. If Fraserville establishes the practice of allowing development outside of the moraine to be serviced with moraine water, many lands surrounding the greenbelt with insufficient water for development will quickly become alluring opportunities for developers. As lands closer to Toronto continue to fall victim to more sprawl, tapping into the moraine for off-site development would not only have untold impacts on its water systems, it would also further diminish the greenbelt's ability to limit sprawl and keep development within urban areas already serviced by infrastructure.

Josh Kohler and Josh Garfinkel work for Earthroots, a Toronto-based environmental organization.

Millbrook water fight runs deeper - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA.

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