An application to allow workers at the North Kent One Wind Farm to work during the night and during Sundays and holidays has been rejected by the municipality of Chatham-Kent.
Residents in the area of the wind farm project were upset recently to see a municipal notice in the local papers asking for input but giving only a few days to respond.
Wind farm developers had sought an exemption to the Chatham-Kent noise bylaw from the period of Dec. 1 to March 31, 2018.
Yvonne Laevens, a Water Wells First member whose family farm is near a turbine, said that asking to work nights, Sundays and holidays on top of the well problems people have been having since turbine construction began added “insult to injury.” She contacted several councillors and municipal building and planning personnel to voice her objections and find out why more time to respond wasn’t given.
“I called my councilors, Mr. (Leon) Leclair and Mr. (Joe) Faas and they weren’t aware the request had been made,” Laevens said. “But I sure am happy the municipality denied their request.”
Chatham-Kent Director of Building Development Services Paul Lacina said the request was denied due to objections received from the public and inconsistency with the principles established by council within the bylaw.
Members of WWF are relieved to hear Lacina’s decision and are happy the limited response time for citizens was enough to have their voices heard.
The project contains 34 wind turbines.
