Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 - (Page 18)

level generated by everyday activity and conversation in a home. This standard, according to Timm at CanWEA, is the most stringent in Canada and puts Ontario among the world leaders in noise setbacks. If a municipality has a distance-based setback requirement that is more restrictive than the provincial sound-based guideline, then the local law takes precedence. This is why rules vary among municipalities and it’s a situation that CanWEA would like to see eliminated. “We argue that arbitrary distances don’t mean a lot,” Timm says. “You could actually exceed the provincial limits, but they’re not justifiable. If you use the sound regulation for the setback, then it’s measurable, it can be monitored, it can be argued.” Unsightliness Views differ on the tourist value of wind turbines. The Erie Shores Wind Farm is featured prominently on Norfolk County’s tourism website. “They’ve seen a lot of people going in to look at the wind turbines and then into Port Rowan for dinner,” Timm says. “To expect tourism to magically appear from it,” counters Smith in Bruce County, “well…there are better ways to inspire tourism.” Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. “No matter what you do you’ll find somebody who is opposed to what you want to do,” says Vanden Hoek, adding that he can remember opposition to the installation of hydro lines and paved roads on Wolfe Island over the years. “There are people who like the looks of them and people who don’t like the looks of them. It’s a given every time you pop up with a development someone will be against it. But at the end of the day Council has to stand back and see if on balance there is more good than bad.” “This municipality very much wants to participate in a number of different areas,” he says of Frontenac Islands. “They want to participate in the economy of Ontario, they want to be good Ontarians, they want to be good environmental stewards and, 18 • municipal MONITOR yes, they want to look after their own self interests as well.” Wind is a relatively new topic in Ontario and it requires a bit of an education process. Birds Again, sources differ on the impact wind turbines have on bird populations. Research by raptor experts for the California Energy Commission (CEC) indicates that each year, Altamont Pass wind turbines in that state kill an estimated 881 to 1,300 birds of prey. Other sources make similar claims about birds and bats in other parts of the United States and in Europe. “It’s a concern that can be managed,” says Timm. “Wind turbines can have an impact on birds, but scientific research has shown that by having a well-planned siting you can avoid significant areas of migration.” According to TreeHugger.com, a website that purports to debunk myths about environmental issues, modern wind turbines have been redesigned to reduce the risk to birds. “High capacity turbines are a relatively recent commercial product,” January/February 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 Contents President’s Message: Recognizing Achievement Viewpoint: Increasing Voter Turnout Building Bridges The Municipal Buddy System Harnessing the Wind Water Under the Bridge Municipal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

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