AMHERST - An Amherst area resident is continuing his fight to stop a proposed wind farm on the marsh near the town.
Jim Milner, who lives on the John Black Road, is preparing a submission to the project environmental assessment claiming that its existence threatens the future of the John Lusby Marsh as a wildlife habitat.
"Wildlife is the property of the Crown so it is the duty of the province to protect wildlife, not sell to the lowest proponent bidder," Milner said in his submission. "Environment Canada is responsible for preserving and enhancing the quality of the natural environment and it needs to be respected, protected and conserved. These areas must be avoided for the use of turbines."
Earlier this month, Nova Scotia Power and Accionia Energy announced plans to construct a 20-turbine windfarm on the marsh near Exit 3 of the Trans-Canada Highway. Construction is expected to begin next April and be operational as early as five months later.
Milner said the process is flawed because studies surrounding migratory bird paths were not conducted during peak periods and suggests the province ignored potential adverse affects on the John Lusby Marsh.
"How can a proponent demonstrate that there are no significant adverse disturbances on the John Lusby Marsh? If so, put up a bond to prove it," he said, questioning how negative impacts to the eco-system and the marsh can be avoided.
Milner said the marsh area and the LaPlanche River receive high numbers of migratory birds every year. It's his believe that giant turbines and spinning blades will change migratory patterns and threaten the birds themselves.
He's also not convinced with claims that shadow flicker will be minimized on both motorists on the nearby highway and in the town, which is a few kilometres from the site. He also believes the county's siting guidelines are flawed because the minimum setback of 500 metres or three times the turbine high only applies to homes.
This is not Milner's first time fighting the project. Several years ago he took the original project to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board causing a delay that indirectly led to its abandonment after capital costs went up.
The deadline for environmental submissions is Thursday.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
Turbines hazardous to wildlife habitat, Milner says
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Comments
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- Jeff
- - January 18th, 2010 at 11:08:59
A better solution is to put the Wind Turbine Farm up in the Westchester mountains , or how about Cape Breton highlands,,
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- Robert
- - January 18th, 2010 at 11:06:29
They complain when we use coal and oil so we look for alternatives. We find viable alternatives and they complain about them. I imagine if we gave up all electricity, and lived off the land, they'd complain that we burn too much wood in our stoves and eat too much meat. They'd always complain. There is absolutely nothing we can do that would keep environmentalists completely happy. There would always be something. Way I see it with this issue is it's the (much) lesser of the evils available. They don't like it... too bad.
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- Wind Whisper
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:59:13
Jim, what's up with trying to trash the wind energy thing?
I like the comments about flicker, there shouldn't be any proplem in the John Black Road side of Amherst. Those windmills aren't going to be blocking out the sky in Amherst. -
- Sober Thought
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:57:18
Our Coal FIred energy stations are a hell of a lot more hazardous to all life than wind turbines, get over it
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- jim
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:42:49
u cant make a cake without breaking a few eggs , thers tons of marshland in cumb. co this project is good for the town as well as the county and should have been in place years ago ..... and if it wernt for a few who dont want anything to change , development of these projects would fly in this area and this means alotless greenhose gasses .. time to break a few eggs...
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- eric
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:37:16
Do birds fly into newly constructed buildings? telephone poles? trees? NO, they are smart enough to evaluate the situation and decide, there is an object worth avoiding. occaisionally someone gets nailed on the train tracks, but for the most part its safe. our county is littered with wildlife habitat and in this case jim should shut up and support the wind farms.
a few people have been suppressing the development of Amherst for a long time, I say to them, shut up and let Amherst thrive and develop like it should. -
- sick of jimmy
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:36:00
why does this nutbar even get SPACE in the paper? he's cost the taxpayers tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars already in his fight to save the world - this is only one of his causes.
hey jimmy - go fly a kite! -
- K FROM AMHERST
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:32:45
AMEN ERIC
