Hearings continue for controversial Ostrander Point wind turbines

Heather Gibbs and Robert Wright of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources preside over the Ostrander Point hearing in Ameliasburgh. The two have been involved in the  case since 2013. Photo by Matthew Murray, QNet News

By Matthew Murray and Rachel Stark

AMELIASBURGH – Local naturalists’ long battle against a wind-turbine project is going through another phase this week with provincial-government hearings into the plan.

At an environmental review tribunal led by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists are continuing their fight against the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Ostrander Point Wind Energy LP over a proposed wind farm at Ostrander Point, near the southeastern tip of Prince Edward County.

Ostrander Point Wind Energy, a branch of the Ontario clean-energy company Gilead Power, first proposed nine wind turbines in 2011, but the project has been delayed by multiple court hearings. The current environmental-review hearing is being headed by Ministry of Natural Resources representatives Robert Wright and Heather Gibbs.

Prior to this week, the hearing’s last session was Sept. 4.  During that session, Joe Crowley, a species-at-risk expert with the Ministry of Natural Resources and an expert witness, said he had advised against the project from the beginning.

The surprise revelation that a provincial official had advised against the project caused the hearings to be halted until this week as 1,500 documents from the Ministry of Natural Resources were released for both sides to look over. The main focus of these documents was the ministry’s decision to grant Ostrander Point Wind Energy a permit allowing its project to “kill, harm and harass” wildlife in the area.

According to the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, the Ostrander Point area is home to over 23 species at risk, most notably the Blanding’s turtle. The turtle is considered threatened under the Species at Risk Act, and the potential impact of the turbines on the turtles has been a major talking point during the hearings.

The Ameliasburgh town hall was almost full Tuesday at 10 a.m. as residents gathered to listen to the proceedings at this week’s session.

It began with both sides looking for a ruling from Wright and Gibbs about whether Gilead’s first application to Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority for the Ostrander project should be allowed as evidence.

Sylvia Davis, a lawyer for the environment ministry, and Sam Rogers of Ostrander Point Wind Energy argued that the document should be left out, with Davis saying that the measures Gilead Power had originally planned to use during construction are no longer relevant.

Opposing that stand was Eric Gillespie of the field naturalists group, who said that the application should be admitted because it showed the progression of the project over the years. “This project didn’t just start yesterday,” said Gillespie as he argued that the information in the original application is still relevant:

Gibbs and Wright ruled that the document is relevant despite changes that the company has made over the years on things like how to mitigate the project’s expected environmental impact.

Joe Crowley was then brought into the room to answer questions from both sides.

Crowley said that the Ministry of Natural Resources could still approve the wind farm, despite the potential impact on the Blanding’s turtle, based on its overall benefit. He also said that one of the main ways proposed by Ostrander to keep the turtles safe – putting up fencing to prevent them from wandering into construction areas and along roads – is not viable because it could trap the turtles in unsuitable areas.

“It would be pretty tricky to properly fence the site,” said Crowley.

He estimated that there are 50 to 100 Blanding’s turtles in the area, though he cautioned that the estimate is rough because it is based on multiple studies of similar areas and not on actual data from the site itself. The best way to get an accurate reading would be a mark-and-capture study that would take a few more years, he said. That caused a murmur among the crowd, most of whom were there because they are opposed to the wind turbines. “Now there’s an idea,” muttered one person sarcastically.

After the lunch break, the tribunal heard from Karen Bellamy, district manager of the Peterborough branch of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and a 35-year veteran with the ministry. Bellamy has been involved in the revitalization of several species in Ontario, such as the fisher and the wild turkey, but told the hearing that she is not an expert on Blanding’s turtles. Bellamy assisted in the process of reviewing the application for the Ostrander Point wind turbines in 2011.

After hours of going over documents and questioning Bellamy, the tribunal ruled that she would be considered a witness for the remainder of the hearings. It then adjourned for the day.

The hearing continued Wednesday and will end on Friday; the audience was told that an effort will be made to announce a decision Friday on the Ostrander Point proposal.

Friday’s meeting will be held at the town hall in Demorestville, starting at 10 a.m.