Administrator | Apr 23, 2015 | Comments 1

Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith asked Glen R. Murray, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, today in the legislature to “do the right thing and save the Blanding’s Turtle” and protect the south shore of Prince Edward County from industrial wind turbines. He also asked the minister “to stop wasting” taxpayer money, resources and involvement.

Monday, Ontario’s top court ruled in favour of The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists’ position, that wind turbines would destroy the Blandings Turtles’ habitat.

The Ontario Court of Appeal reversed a lower court ruling regarding a Renewal Energy Approval of the nine turbine Ostrander Point industrial wind project. The decision reinstates the key initial finding of the Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) that “serious and irreversible harm” to threatened Blanding’s Turtles will occur if the project operates as approved.

Gilead Power has said it will go back to the Environmental Review Tribunal, to make their case for “remedy” that would stop public traffic with gates on access roads.

“I’m confident that the Field Naturalists will be able to show that nothing Gilead does to try and mitigate harm will actually reduce the environmental impact of this project,” Smith said in a statement Monday. “The fact is, the court stated that the Tribunal was right to rely on expert evidence that showed how destructive this project would be to the environment.

“My goal is to get the ministry to stop supporting Gilead’s case.” Smith said. “When you’ve got an Appeals Court decision stating that a project will cause environmental harm, it strikes me as hypocritical to have the Ministry of Environment supporting that project.”