Turtles halt Ontario wind

The Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal has revoked a renewable energy approval for the 22.5MW Ostrander Point wind project over fears it would harm the endangered Blanding’s turtle.

The tribunal found that measures proposed by developer Gilead Power were unlikely to eliminate the threat posed by the wind farm.

Gilead proposes to install nine GE 2.5MW turbines on 324 hectares of provincial Crown land in Prince Edward County along Lake Ontario. A feed-in tariff contract was awarded in 2010.

The project has been dogged by legal challenges. Ostrander Point was initially approved in 2012, however, the tribunal overturned the REA the following year.

Gilead appealed and won, but a higher court reversed that decision, ruling against the project.

The court directed the case back to the ERT to address the question of remedy, giving Gilead one last opportunity to outline additional mitigation measures.

The developer’s proposals to reduce traffic on project roads and erect barriers to turtle crossing did not convince the tribunal. This is the first case in Ontario to test the ERT’s discretionary remedial power.

It’s not known if Gilead intends to appeal the decision to the Divisional Court.

The case could affect other wind projects in Ontario. The tribunal in April stayed Wpd Canada’s 55.35MW White Pines scheme and a remedy hearing is under way.

Image: GE