Chatham-Kent councilor Jeff Wesley has retained personal legal counsel after receiving a shame award from local activist group Water Wells First (WWF).
On Friday, WWF announced the second shame award the group has given out, saying Wesley “misled the public” in a letter to the editor in another publication recently in which he said an independent third party should be hired for the Otter Creek wind turbine project to do baseline water well testing and report directly to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Control (MOECC), “thus avoiding conflict of interest.”
The point WWF spokesperson Kevin Jakubec said his group was making with the shame award was that when the wind farm company choses and pays for a consultant to do the well testing, that consultant answers to the person who pays them – the wind farm company – and therefore isn’t really a third party.
In a rebuttal, after hearing about the shame award, Wesley defended himself, and said his original words show what he was talking about. He has asked WWF to withdraw the shame award and apologize to him.
“A qualified third party group that reports directly to the MOECC (and therefore not Otter Creek) is not a consultant hired by Otter Creek,” Wesley wrote in an e-mail to Jakubec, the media and council.
Wesley also forwarded several e-mails to media showing correspondence with Jakubec, including one Feb. 6 where he copied his feedback from a public meeting. The subject line was, “Why I Believe the Otter Creek Project Should Contain the Conditions Imposed on North Kent Wind.” Wesley said he has been sending e-mails to WWF to keep the members up-to-date with bringing his concerns with the project to Otter Creek and council.
In that e-mail to Otter Creek staff, Wesley said, “While I do not know what is causing local well water concerns (not enough evidence to say wind turbines are the cause and yet not enough evidence to say the wind turbines are not playing a role), I know that the MOECC and anyone disturbing the aquifer should be absolutely certain what is nor is not a factor. What we do know is that something is happening to the aquifer in parts of Chatham-Kent.”
Wesley continues, making a case for baseline water well testing, which Otter Creek staff said they are not planning on doing. The company’s REA application is still in the works with the MOECC to allow the construction of the turbines north of Wallaceburg.
A Jan. 30 e-mail to Jakubec from Wesley copies him on concerns Wesley shared with council members and staff with the Otter Creek project.
Jakubec, in a press release on Monday, said he stands behind his actions and said the only correspondence he received from Wesley was a Jan. 30 e-mail informing him that Wesley would be attending the second public meeting held by Otter Creek.
“The shame award to Coun. Wesley for misleading the public and figurine of Pinocchio is justly awarded. No apology will be given and the shame award stands,” Jakubec said.
WWF has invited Wesley to its next meeting coming up soon to accept his award and Jakubec said he would share his e-mails with the membership of WWF.
Wesley declined any further comment Monday on the advice of his lawyer.
