If every person in Chatham-Kent could listen to local hydrogeologist Bill Clarke explain the situation with the contamination of water wells in the North Kent 1 wind project area, we think there would be a lot more support for demanding that construction halt until the situation can be properly investigated.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said in a statement they stand behind Dr. David Colby and the science that he says proves ingesting the particulates in the water of wells clogged with sediment, while unappealing, does not pose a danger.
Yes, Dr. Colby explained the difference between a suspension and a solution, but nowhere was there science to back up his claim that drinking water with Kettle Point Black Shale particles in it, which is known to contain mercury, arsenic lead and uranium in varying levels, would not be a health risk in the short or long term.
Water Wells First also discovered that the scientific method of determining what is in a particle of shale is called the acid digestion test, which Kevin Jakubec said break down the particle to see what is in it. That sounds remarkedly like what happens with the food we eat. Our stomach acid breaks it down so we can digest it easier.
Can someone tell us with certainty, perhaps the medical officer of health who is responsible for public health, where his proof is that over time, these particles digested won’t cause cancer or other diseases? That is what these well owners need – assurance from a trusted source that they are not slowly poisoning themselves and their family members if they drink the water, even if they buy expensive filters which can only filter out particles bigger than one micron.
The stress caused by not having drinkable water or any water at all, plus worry over long-term health concerns and loss of property value are hurting these people and you can see it in their faces.
The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change needs to pull its head out of the sand and actually address the concerns of the North Kent residents. They have been sitting on reports of the well contamination for months with no communication to the residents or the media. They spend more time worried if Jakubec is on a property they have been asked to visit for well testing than doing their jobs, and that has to stop.
The MOECC and provincial government should be ashamed of their lack of action and concern for a very serious issue. If they are very busy testing water and sediment to get answers, then tell us so. But if they are waiting for the turbines to actually be up and running before releasing their results, they are well on their way to achieving that goal.
