WITHOUT JUDGING the project, we are as bemused as Melancthon Council by the apparent approval of a 100 MW wind farm without any public consultation.

We might not be quite so taken aback were it not an obviously misleading response from Environment Minister John Gerretson to the council’s request to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jim Bradley.

The council had been asking for a moratorium on wind turbine approvals until it could be established scientifically and unequivocally whether industrial wind farms pose a widespread health hazard. The purpose was to clarify the position the township might be in with respect to property reassessments and a loss of tax revenue in the event property owners sought tax relief because of the proximity of turbines.

The Gerretson response doesn’t address that issue. Instead, it avers that there are public consultations along with relevant studies prior to an application being made for a renewable energy approval.

“Before submitting an application for MOE review, the application is also required to hold at least two community consultation meetings to discuss the project and its potential local impact. Any required studies must be made available for public review,” says Minister Gerretson.

A 401 Energy news release says the 100- MW project on 4,500 acres will be complete by Aug. 30, 2011. And one wonders how the proposal got to 100 MW under the new Feed-in-Tariff program from below 10 MW under the previous Standard Offer Program.