Wind farm heads to assessment phase

SkyPower is inviting the public to submit written comments to Nova Scotia’s Environmental Assessment Branch on or before May 30.

An advertisement in this issue of The Digby Courier also states that construction is planned to start in September with the 30-megawatt facility becoming operational next spring.

The timeline reflects a delay in the original goal. When the project was announced last May, the developers stated the wind field would be supplying electricity to Nova Scotia Power by the end of this year.

Over the past year, a number of Digby Neck residents have expressed opposition to the project. They say they are not opposed to wind power, but that turbines should be far enough from homes that they do not affect the quality of life for residents.

Those opposing the current project have said noise and ‘infra-noise’ produced by turbines may cause headaches, insomnia, heart palpitations, stress, anxiety and depression for people living close to the turbines. They also worry that the flicker effect of the turbines may trigger seizures in a resident who suffers from epilepsy.

Dr. Robert McMurtry, the former dean of medicine at the University of Western Ontario, last week called on the Ontario government for a moratorium on the construction of wind turbines until studies on the safety or potential harm of wind turbines have been conducted.

McMurtry quoted from an informal survey of 76 people who live near wind turbines. At least one health complaint—which they believed was the result of the turbines—was reported by 53 of the respondents.