Immediate Moratorium Needed on Wind Turbines

QUEEN’S PARK – PC Energy Critic and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli today called for an immediate moratorium of further wind power development in Ontario in light of a study announced by Health Canada.

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Health Canada, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, will conduct research into the relationship between wind turbine noise and health effects reported by people living near wind power developments. The results of the study are expected in 2014. “The fact the federal government feels this study is necessary is reason enough to put a halt to any more wind turbines being built in Ontario right now,” said Fedeli. “I’ve been to dozens of town halls across the province and have heard the painful stories of those who’ve reported these adverse health effects,” Fedeli added. “Dalton McGuinty needs to do the right thing and implement an immediate halt to further wind power development in Ontario.” This past session, the Ontario PC’s put legislation before the House calling for a moratorium on wind turbines, which was rejected by Liberal and NDP members. Fedeli reiterated the concerns with wind power go well beyond health concerns. “Wind power is helping drive up the cost of Ontario electricity to second-highest in North America, killing jobs and our competitiveness,” said Fedeli, noting wind producers are paid twice what it costs to produce the power through the Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) subsidy. “It also is generated at times we don’t need it creating surplus power we have to sell at a loss, and isn’t there when we need it, as was seen during last week’s heat wave,” added Fedeli. “Wind power, quite simply, has been a dismal failure for Ontarians.”

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