Chris Clegg
South Peace News
They have heard the science, but they are not convinced.
Members of the Smoky River Wind Concerns Group (Wind Concerns in later references in this story) are still concerned over the effects a proposed wind farm north of Falher may have.
ABO Wind held an open house at Jean Cote Nov. 1. The company attended with several experts to present the science behind the project and help alleviate residents’ concerns. ABO’s David Berube, social impact and engagement lead, led the meeting.
Near the end of the meeting, a woman asked for a show of hands to support the project.
No one in the room raised their hand.
Wind Concerns understands why.
“(People) don’t want to take a chance to be sick,” says Dorine Dentinger, who acted as spokesman with the group during an interview with South Peace News. She called the matter a “David versus Goliath” situation where ABO Wind has tremendous resources to promote their agenda whereas they had very little.
Wind Concerns likes to point out that studies in the 1970s showed cigarette smoking was not hazardous to human health years ago as a possible precedent.
“We all know how that turned out!” says Dentinger. “Not enough research.”
ABO Wind’s business is development and construction of such projects. The Falher project includes 26 turbines that would generate 160 megawatts of power. The current timeline calls for ABO to submit the project to the Alberta Utilities Commission in 2024.
“When the plan is submitted, there is an opportunity for public input,” Jon Cooper, project manager since 2019, told the audience at the meeting.
If approved, construction would begin in 2026 and be operational in 2026.
The project is estimated to cost between $300-400 million and is all privately funded. It would bring considerable tax revenue to the M.D of Smoky River and create much-needed jobs.
Currently, all projects in Alberta are delayed for six months while the Alberta government gives a second look. The moratorium ends Feb. 29, 2024.
ABO Wind and Wind Concerns both have mountains of information supporting their cause. While ABO Wind is clearly satisfied with the current scientific information, Wind Concerns is not.
“At Jean Cote it was all sunshine and roses,” says Dentinger.
“We’re not rich enough to hire our own experts.
“We are not convinced this issue (wind farms) has not been studied enough,” she adds.
“We’ve been talking to people around the world,” she says. “They’re telling us they were told it was safe. Now they are saying, ‘I was naïve, too.”
She adds just because the wind farms do not affect everyone, does not mean they may not affect an individual whose quality of life would be destroyed. But by then it would be too late.
Just about every issue ABO Wind tried to dispel at the Jean Cote meeting is being refuted by Wind Concerns from flicking to noise to reclamation.
Dentinger is pleased to know at least one Alberta MLA is on their side. Bonnyville – Cold Lake – St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr is speaking against wind farms. In a letter Nov. 29 to the Alberta Utilities Commission, Cyr writes “. . .these things hurt people and animals.”
Wind Concerns’ document from Cyr adds, “Studies and court decision have highlighted serious negative health effects for people residing within up to 10 kms of wind turbine plants. . .”
And he has a Finnish 2019 study to back him up.
But so does ABO Wind. At Jean Cote, Justin Lee, a technical consultant, spoke on noise, shadow flickering and visualization. Lee showed charts noting there would be minimal impact regarding noise. The same charts were presented for display in the hall. Lee stressed the project meets minimum requirements for noise day and night.
“These green energy projects usually negatively affect the land values of the properties around them, adding another layer of concern for local residents and landowners,” reads Cyr’s document.
ABO brought Darren Clark in to speak at Jean Cote. He told the audience there was no evidence in studies completed outside of Alberta to suggest property values would decrease with a wind farm in the area, but he did admit there were no studies completed in Alberta.
So it goes back and forth, it seems, on every issue regarding the project.
Dr. Chris Ollson, also brought in by ABO Wind, noted in his presentation that the M.D. of Smoky River has decided on a one-km setback from turbines and residences. He noted it was far more than in Ontario, which has only a 550-metre setback.
Ollson added he had studied impacts on wind projects for 15 years.
“You have to look at the research,” he told the audience regarding concerns.
He added the noise caused by turbines does not pose a risk to the public’s health.
He suggested there was more noise inside a car than noise caused by turbines.
In fact, well under the 40-decibel minimum limit.
Ollson added the overall conclusion in a Health Canada study determined no impact on health.
But Cyr’s documents say there are concerns up to 10 kms away.
So, no matter what part of the project one debates, both sides are agreeing to disagree which just might add some validity to Dentinger’s concerns.
“We need more time to study,” she says.