Thompson assessment victory sounds alarm

A 50 per cent reduction in assessment for a property close by the Melancthon wind farm’s transformer substation in Amaranth has some rural municipalities reeling.

Although the reduction is related to a complaint about “noise pollution” from the first of two 100- megawatt transformers, Melancthon and others fear it will open the floodgates to appeals from all nonparticipating properties in the proximity of wind turbines themselves.

Their understandable near-panic is intensified by provisions of Ontario’s Green Energy Act, by which the municipality would have no say in the development of more wind farms, and comes at a time when 401 Energy is planning a 100-megawatt cooperative in Melancthon but hasn’t revealed its location.

As well, the provincial government has inked a deal with Korea-based Samsung that will lead to the addition of 2.5- gigawatts (2,500 megawatts) of renewable energy, largely wind power, to Ontario’s energy mix.

(Details of that deal seem vague. One industry official last week said it appears Samsung will be in the position of “a clearing house” for equipment purchases, but would not have a monopoly on installations. But the official didn’t wish to be named as he said he couldn’t be certain.)

Representatives of 401 are scheduled to appear at the next meeting of that council. In the meantime, the council is expressing its concerns over potential reassessments in a letter to the Jim Bradley, the new minister of municipal affairs and housing as well as to the premier and the minister of energy.

Paul Thompson, one of three nearest and most vocal neighbours of the Melancthon wind farm’s transformer substation on the Tenth Line of Amaranth at 15 Sideroad, confirmed last Friday in a phone interview that his 2010 assessment had been reduced by 50% following his appeals to the Assessment Review Board and discussions with MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corp.) largely on the strength of a digital recording of noise levels within his residence.

He said he recently attended a council meeting in West Grey where the reassessment and potential consequences were discussed with some concern.

The two other nearby vocal residents, Gary Whitworth and Theresa Kidd, could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Thompson is thankful but not entirely rejoicing over a 50% reduction in his property tax. He says he is still forced to sleep elsewhere, and he would face something like a $150,000 loss if he were to sell his property according to the assessment.

(Property value reduction, loss of enjoyment and other issues are among allegations in Mr. Thompson’s statement of claim against Canadian Hydro and others. That matter is still before the courts.)

News of the assessment came at a time when there is a widespread call for provincial investigation into whether people are affected by low-frequency sound waves that are inaudible to the human ear.

There are numerous studies of the phenomenon but apparently no conclusive scientific evidence to support claims of damage from turbine sounds, although wind-farm settlements with complainants have been reported.