Half a kilometre setback enough for wind turbines, says court

The Ontario Divisional Court has upheld current rules for setbacks for wind turbines.

An application by Ontario resident Ian Hanna had suggested that the government did not adhere to its own statement of environmental values in developing a setback of 550 metres for the siting of wind turbines.

However, the court decided that the government had satisfied its environmental values, having established the setback distances with extensive consultations and views from a wide range of stakeholders.

Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), said in a statement: “The balance of expert scientific and medical information to date clearly indicates there is no direct link between wind turbines and effects on human health. This is backed,” he points out, “by the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health as well as the National Public Health Institute in Quebec, and a growing body of peer-reviewed scientific and medical information.”

Horning said the wind industry will continue to review new and “credible” information as it becomes available.