Comment ID: 210810 To say…

Comment ID: 210810

To say that I am concerned about my well water being contaminated is an understatement. The plan calls for me to be surrounded by 5 turbines within 2000m of my water well. The recent developments of water wells becoming contaminated as part of the installation of foundation piles as part of the North Kent 1 wind project only serve to heighten my concern. Since learning about the composition of the Kettle Point shale that serves as our bedrock, and talking with people who are directly affected, it is not right that we, or anyone else for that matter, should take the risk of losing access to a source of water that has been stable for hundreds or even thousands of years. I urge you to withhold approval of this permit until the root cause can be established and a foundation design that will not impact our water wells can be established that we as a community can support. I also encourage you to consider the following points. #1 -- The Otter Creek Wind Farm project should be suspended until the root cause of the water well problems of North Kent 1 Wind Farm, Marsh Creek Wind Farm and East Lake St. Clair Wind Farm can be determined and resolved. If it turns out to be the wind turbines are causing the problem, then come up with a solution that will not impact our aquifer that we can all agree on and support. If a solution cannot be found, then do not allow the project to proceed. It is not worth ruining our water for the sake of a little bit of "green energy". #2 -- If MOECC decides to allow the project to proceed, then include bedrock vibration monitoring. The REA permit for North Kent 1 includes ground-borne vibration monitoring. The problem is that the monitoring is at ground level and does not provide accurate scientific data since well water intakes are just above bedrock. Because of the geological conditions found in the project site area and subsequent aquifer vulnerability, vibration monitoring equipment needs to be placed at bedrock at a distance of 1000m from the site of the wind towers to determine if there is any vibration occurring. Let's determine once and for all if bedrock vibration is the cause of turbidity in the water. Let's put this issue to bed. Of course this will need to be monitored and evaluated by a qualified, experienced and independent seismologist, with a base line evaluation completed before any construction begins. At minimum, this data must be provided to MOECC and providing the data to the public would prove that the authorities are interested in full transparency. #3 -- Provide base line water testing and evaluation of all water wells in the Otter Creek zone and anyone outside of the zone within 1 km of any installation as part of this project. The testing must also include flow rate determination. First, there must a window of 4 months provided to the residents to co-ordinate with Otter Creek Wind Farm to have the base line testing completed. Second, this testing must be carried out by an independent P. Geo. There must also be the option, at the discretion of the well owner, to video record and/or have a witness during the full test. #4 -- Prior to the commencement of the construction of the Facility, the Company shall submit the water samples to a qualified laboratory for analysis of a general chemistry suite of water quality parameters, including but not limited to, the following: alkalinity, ammonia, bacteria, calcium, chloride, colour, conductivity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), hardness, heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, lead, uranium, molybdenum, iron, magnesium, manganese, nitrite, nitrate, pH, potassium, sodium, and sulphate. In addition, there shall be testing of total dissolved solids (TDS), and turbidity thus determining baseline conditions for suspended particulate matter. The evaluation must also include testing for radon and radium. The results of the evaluation must be provided, without restriction, to each property owner. In addition to the water testing listed above prior to construction, water sampling including flow rate, to create a baseline is to be performed annually until decommissioning of the project. #5 -- Should a homeowner have issues with water quality or quantity, they are to contact Otter Creek Wind Farm LP immediately. Otter Creek Wind Farm, at its own expense, is to send an independent P. Geo to perform the same water testing analysis as above and submit this sample to a qualified laboratory for analysis. These results are to be provided to the homeowner as well as to the MOECC. The P. Geo is to provide a detailed explanation as to the cause of the water quality or quantity issue. If the laboratory results show that there are contaminants known to be associated with Kettle Point shale, then the seismologist will provide all vibration data for 30 days preceding the complaint to the MOECC as well as to the homeowner, without restriction, and provide a detailed explanation of the seismic results. Otter Creek is to provide wind speed, wind direction and turbine operation data to the MOECC as well as the homeowner, without restriction. #6 -- If a well becomes compromised as having a turbidity level higher than the Ontario safe water level of 5 ntu and/or any form of restricted water flow, Otter Creek Wind Farm, at its own expense, is to provide an immediate, usable water supply such as a refillable water storage tank with capabilities of supplying, in all weather conditions, sufficient storage to meet the family's normal needs of consumption, bathing and cleaning for multiple days and refill as necessary until the interference is gone completely. #7 -- The company is to submit a plan to supply either municipal water, below grade water storage or another solution. This plan must be agreeable to the homeowner and remain in effect until the water well quality or quantity issues are rectified. This cost of this plan shall be borne at the company's expense into perpetuity. #8 -- Since the proposed turbines are a new product and there isn't any empirical data to work with, other than computer models, there is a risk that noise levels will be above acceptable levels. If a homeowner within 2000m complains of unacceptable noise levels, the company shall provide an acoustic evaluation based on similar conditions of the complainant. This data will be provided to the MOECC and to the complainant. If data shows sound levels to be above acceptable noise levels, then a plan must be submitted to reduce the emissions to acceptable levels. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.