Opponents are appealing against approval for wpd Canada’s 16.4MW Fairview wind farm in Ontario.
The developer received provincial approval in February to install eight Senvion 2.05MW turbines at the Simcoe County site.
A few local residents as well as Simcoe County Clearview Township and the town of Collingwood filed suit to overturn the renewable energy approval (REA).
The plaintiffs claim the project will harm human health and the environment. They also allege it will create safety concerns at the Collingwood Regional Airport and the Clearview airfield.
The REA process dragged on for more than three years, partly over concerns with safety at the two airports. The Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal will hold a preliminary hearing on 12 April and a hearing begins 16 May. The tribunal is required to issue a decision by 19 August 2016.
Fairview has a 20-year feed-in tariff power purchase agreement with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator. The wind farm will feed about 39,838 MWh a year into the local electricity grid, said the developer, a subsidiary of Germany-based Wpd Europe.
Image: sxc
