Turbines put species at risk says appeals court
A small turtle has local wind turbine opponents smiling — for the moment.
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled this week in favour of an Environmental Review Tribunal decision from 2013 that a nine-turbine project in Prince Edward County puts the threatened Blanding’s turtle at even more risk. This decision has local residents fighting the onslaught of 77 industrial wind turbines celebrating, at least momentarily.
“We’re concerned for the Blanding’s turtle habitat in the same way the field naturalists group in Ostrander is,” said Loretta Shields, noting 20 of the proposed Niagara Region Wind Corp. turbines are in known Blanding’s habitats. “There is public concern.”
The Blanding’s turtle is medium in size and easily identified by its bright yellow throat and chin and smile-like expression. The most significant threat to this reptile are loss or fragmenting of habitat, motor vehicles, racoons and foxes. Another threat is poaching for the illegal pet trade.
The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists Club successfully challenged the approval of a 324-hectare, nine-turbine wind farm in Ostrander Point, south of Belleville, Ont. in an environmental review tribunal last year. That decision was challenged by project proponents Ostrander Point Wind Energy at divisional court and the original decision was upheld, which prompted the field naturalists to take their fight to the next level the Ontario Court of Appeal.