New York State Apollo Alliance and the Albany Law School Environmental Law Society.

APOLLO ALLIANCE
"Climate, Jobs and Justice:

Copenhagen Report and Next Steps for Labor and the Environment At the forum, environment, labor and environmental justice leaders who took part in the Copenhagen meetings, as well as other experts, discussed next steps to a meaningful response to the climate crisis.
The event was co-sponsored by the Workforce Development Institute, Albany Law School's Government Law Center, New York State Apollo Alliance and the Albany Law School Environmental Law Society.

These Pod Casts are very dry; however, they are worth listening to. I have recently only begun to understand the scope of the alliances between business and government, and environmental organizations, how they together are shaping policy, this policy has a profound effect on our daily lives. The context of these podcasts will help bring to light the views of these people that are in key positions to change our future.

Keynote speakers were

Pete Grannis, Commissioner, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Sean Sweeney, Director, Cornell Global Labor Institute
Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director, WeAct for Environmental Justice
Additional speakers included:

Mark Watson, Program Manager, Environmental Research, NYSERDAJill Kubit, Assistant Director, Cornell Global Labor Institute
Jared Snyder, Assistant Commissioner for Air Resources, NYS Department of Environmental
Mark Bettinger, Director of Sierra Club's Federal and International Climate Campaign
Ed Murphy, Director, Workforce Development Institute
The event was co-sponsored by the Workforce Development Institute, Albany Law School's Government Law Center, New York State Apollo Alliance and the Albany Law School Environmental Law Society.

 The Copenhagen podcasts are no longer available.  They have been removed from the internet.
Copenhagen1



Copenhagen2

Towers, towers everywhere ~ WDT ~ Editorial

Towers, towers everywhere

SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010
The news last week that the Ontario Power Authority has awarded a contract for a 300-megawatt wind farm in the shallow Lake Ontario waters west of Wolfe Island further complicates the work of Cape Vincent and Clayton and Lyme municipal governments that are already struggling to determine how to treat commercial wind proposals in their towns.

Wind Stream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc. is owned by the same developers who built the Wolfe Island wind farm. That 86-windmill farm could be dwarfed by the new proposal; a 300-megawatt farm using generators of 1.6- to 2-megawatt capacity could add between 150 and 187 new towers to a Thousand Islands landscape that is already pretty full when you look north.

Link here to the Watertown Times to read the full letter
Towers, towers everywhere

Department of Energy - Secretary Chu Announces New Partnerships Under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas

Department of Energy - Secretary Chu Announces New Partnerships Under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas


April 15, 2010

Secretary Chu Announces New Partnerships Under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas
Initiatives will help develop clean energy resources and strengthen energy security

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced a series of partnerships and other initiatives to address clean energy and energy security in the Western Hemisphere as part of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced new projects focused on clean energy cooperation, technical assistance and financing, renewable energy, and electricity infrastructure and earthquake preparedness.

“Dozens of countries from across the Americas have come together today to promote clean energy future for our Hemisphere,” said Secretary Chu. “By expanding our cooperation and collaboration on key energy and climate issues, we will lay a foundation for broad-based economic growth while helping to protect our environment.”

Energy ministers and delegations from 32 countries gathered at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, DC on Thursday for the start of the two-day Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas. Energy officials joined with more than 200 businesses and non-governmental organizations to advance initiatives under ECPA that will help countries across the Hemisphere develop and deploy clean energy technologies and achieve low carbon economic growth.

Property values blowing in the wind

By Nancy Madsen Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
Publication: Watertown Daily Times (New York)
Date: Wednesday, April 7 2010

Apr. 7--Sales records show that Cape Vincent has had a steeper decline in residential property sales than its neighbors and real estate professionals are starting to blame proposed wind power developments.

"People do not want to buy near windmills," said Amanda J. Miller, owner of Lake Ontario Realty, Dexter, who specializes in waterfront property sales. "They avoid purchasing in towns like Cape Vincent."


Link here to original WDT story

New York Invests in Green-Collar Jobs : Apollo Alliance

New York Invests in Green-Collar Jobs : Apollo Alliance

Gov. David Paterson signed the Green Jobs/Green New York Act of 2009 into law. The product of active collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders,

Green Jobs/Green New York sets a goal of retrofitting a million homes across the state, and establishes a revolving loan fund, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), to cover up-front costs of residential and commercial energy efficiency improvements. The bill encourages NYSERDA and the Public Service Commission to establish a mechanism to allow loan repayment over a number of years through an added charge on homeowners’ utility bills, but since it does not specifically mandate “on-bill recovery,” this will be the subject of additional legislation. The loan fund will be supported by an initial $112 million in proceeds from a Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction. An additional $2-4 million in auction proceeds will go toward job training in weatherization.

The bill is the product of two years of work by a coalition of multiple stakeholders, led by the Center for Working families (CWF) and the WFP, with active engagement by the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), the New York Apollo Alliance, and many others. The coalition worked in cooperation with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who authored the bill and carried it through unanimous passage in the Assembly.

Fenner ~ Videos ~ General Electric ~ Turbines

The Fenner Wind Farm, Madison County, Upstate New York
After turbine collapse
General Electric Co., Was the turbine’s manufacturer.



December 10, 2007
Apparently breakdowns are not uncommon at Fenner.
A blade on one of the Fenner (NY) wind turbines bent in November '07 .This video also reports that, this is not the first time that a blade has failed on a turbine at Fenner Wind Farm.



Interview at Fenner Wind Farm in N.Y.Scott Griffin a local resident who lives in Fenner, talks about why he is supportive of the Fenner Wind Farm.



December 19, 2008
Wind Turbine Collapses Near Weatherford OK
General Electric Co., Was the turbine’s manufacturer.

RADAR ISSUES BACK ON HORIZON

Wind Farm Plans Stir up Storm Over Military Radar - ABC News


FEDERAL WIND SITING ~ information center ~pdf file
~~~
Military tests conducted between2002 and 2005 by the U. S. Air force and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense found that wind turbines located within the line of sight of military radar can adversely affect its ability to track aircraft and other aerial objects.
These findings virtually stopped the development of wind energy facilities across the country.

The FAA halted work on about a dozen land-based wind farm projects that were within the line of sight of any military radar. The Sierra Club sued the Pentagon in June for failing to complete the report within the mandated time period. In an attempt to force the release of the Department of Defense Report two Democratic Senators from Illinois, Richard (Dick) Durbin and Barack Obama, blocked a Senate vote on a Defense Department nominee Robert L. Wilkie and they announced that they would block the nomination of Andrew Steinberg to be Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a conclusive determination as to whether the operation of wind farms under construction in the Midwest will interfere with radar systems.
~~~
Without this certainty, potential investors will fear that their resources could be lost.
~~~~
The Sierra club published a post on their website stating that the DOD released their report in response to their lawsuit. Claiming that the result of the DOD's report was "vindication of the Club's position , that windmill construction should move forward". We now seem to be back where we started with the radar issue back on the horizon. This is a matter of public safety not an issue that needs to be expedited by political arm twisting or by court room theatrical maneuvers by wind lobbyists.

This is the press release from Senator Durbin's website ~ click here ~ to view actual page




This is the press release from Senator Durbin's website ~ click here ~ to view actual page


This is the press release from Senator Durbin's website ~ click here ~ to read report

Orangeville wind lawsuit detailed

The Daily News Online - Batavia, NY Lawsuit makes conflict-of-interest allegations
By Matt Surtel
Thursday, February 11, 2010

(Related story: Orangeville wind Lawsuit detailed)
~~~
This is all too familiar!

Orangeville wind lawsuit detailed
A group opposing the proposed Stony Creek Wind Farm alleges ethics and other violations by the town board. Clear Skies Over Orangeville is seeking to invalidate the town's 2009 zoning amendments which set the rules for wind turbine development. The group is also asking the court to order the Town Board to comply with State Environmental Quality Review procedural mandates.
February 10, 2010 by Matt Surtel in The Daily News

ORANGEVILLE -- A group opposing the proposed Stony Creek Wind Farm alleges ethics and other violations by the town board.
Clear Skies Over Orangeville is seeking to invalidate the town's 2009 zoning amendments which set the rules for wind turbine development.

The group is also asking the court to order the Town Board to comply with State Environmental Quality Review procedural mandates.

Web link: http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2010/02...

*THE TRUTH ABOUT PANCAKES, GREEN SHIRTS & BIG WIND….

Jefferson’s Leaning Left began a post today,“Let Them Eat Pancakes,” that really grabbed my attention.

“Is this the future for wind pilot’s”?

The final paragraph of this post is the portion that I want to write about.
Jefferson’s leaning Left the last paragraph –
When the BFW lawyer guy comes to town and starts to bribe and muscle the community into providing more perks the green shirts could always promise to hold a pancake fundraiser for BFW at the Village Recreation Hall, once a month for twenty years of course.
~~~
The green shirts and how this grassroots citizen’s organization began.
I found a testimonial letter written by Dawn Munk the president of the green shirts (Voters for Wind). This letter describes a relationship between their organization and Geos Global.

About Geos Global Green Energy outreach services “Geos Global “is a Saratoga Springs – based public relations firm specializing in outreach and communications services to the top–tier companies within the clean energy sector. Geos provides select clients with customized approaches for ensuring successful outcomes based upon decades of experience in environmental organizing and energy communications. Geos builds trust through early education and development of community partnerships. We firmly believe an invested public leads to long–term project success.

Steve Sullivan is a Wind facilitator, according to an article in the Watertown times dated Friday, September 26, 2008, written by Nancy Madsen. There was a meeting at TI Central focusing on issues of turbines, the electric grid, setbacks and noise. She reported that one of the guest speakers was Steven C. Sullivan, managing director of Geos Global and consultant to BP Alternative energy.
BP Alternative Energy is one of the top-tier companies that Geos Global serves in the clean energy sector. In their mission statement Geos Global states that they build trust through early education and development of community partnerships using customized approaches. These statements that Geos Global builds trust through early education and community partnerships sound good don’t they? However, what does this really mean? What service is BP buying when they hire Steven C. Sullivan and Geos Global? Geos Global states that they work for top -tier companies meaning the largest alternative energy companies. These services must be expensive. What kind of partnerships do they develop? They develop grass roots citizens organizations, whose mission it is to support the development of a wind farm in the towns of Cape Vincent and Lyme. I know this because I have a testimonial letter written by the president of voters for wind that tells me this. This letter says that Marion Trieste, managing director of Geo’s Global, helped their small group develop their mission statement, elect officers develop bylaws, and begin the task of reaching out to others. This letter goes on to say that the staff of Geos Global is with us every step of the way, providing us with information suggestions and technical and moral support. They have assisted us in planning and organizing community events, fund raising events and have assisted us in learning how to utilize the media to spread our message. Staff members from Geos Global attend our monthly meetings. This letter ends:
“On a personal level, I am grateful to Maz and all of the staff at GEOS who have encouraged me and introduced me to grassroots organization, where a committed group of diverse individuals really can come together and make a difference. A voter for wind is like a family and GEOS is very definitely part of our family.
Sincerely,
Dawn M.Munk “
My whole point to all this is, the next time you see those ever present clusters of green shirts, you need to focus on what this represents. You must ask yourself; do these people represent citizens from a grassroots organization in the community? Who are these people? It has been documented that BP uses Geos Global‘s services and we have the testimonial letter from the president of voters for wind thanking Geos Global for “introducing her to grass roots organization” I think it would be safe to conclude that BP is behind GEOS GLOBALS interest in voters for wind.
Back to my point, when a green shirt representative speaks at a legislative meeting is someone from a grassroots organization speaking, or is a wind puppet for BP alternative Energy speaking? When there is a DEIS, Or FEIS public hearing, and a green shirt representative stands to speak is someone from a grassroots organization speaking or is a wind puppet for BP alternative Energy speaking? If the wind committee meets and someone from voters for wind is on this committee, who are they representing?
So the next time you attend that grass roots citizens organization‘s pancake fund raiser you might want to ask yourself Is a pancake just a pan cake? Can we really have our cake and eat it too…


Below is a copy of Dawn Munk’s testimonial letter and copy of a letter written to Marion Trieste of Geos Global. This letter is from another community where BP Alternative energy wants to develop industrial wind. This is a thank you for Ms. Trieste’s support and BP’s $ 2,000 sponsorship for a community festival.

Dawn Munks Testimonial letter written to Geos Global

Fenner Collapse ~ Investigation Continues

Apparently this was the second time something like this has happened. A blade on one of the Fenner (NY) wind turbines bent in November '07.
Now Fenner has a collapse under its belt as well.


Fenner (WSYR-TV) - Teams of engineers are still trying to figure out what caused one of the huge Fenner wind turbines to collapse in late December.
Piece by piece engineers are going over the wreckage of what was once a 328 foot tall, 187 ton wind turbine. The key section, however, will only be accessible when it's all cut up and removed.

They're anxious to get to the hole left in the foundation where the turbine separated from the base, but so far nobody's been able to access that spot. More than a month after the crash they still have no answers on what caused the giant turbine to come crashing down.

(Click here to view new video )

In Other words just pay your taxes and shut -up!

I am publishing this in its entirety because there is no link.
This is a letter to the editor that was published in the Thousand Islands Sun ~
January 20, 2010~
This letter, may give the reader insight into the division in Cape Vincent. I found it to be a sad and insightful letter.
It is true Cape Vincent is a beautiful place, but there are many beautiful places in the world, there is an old saying that beauty comes from within unfortunately Cape Vincent has an ugliness within that is reflected in Harold Wiley’s letter .

Don’t get me wrong there are many wonderful people in Cape Vincent and I have had the opportunity to meet many of them in this fight against this insidious corrupt wind beast.

It has been said it is not the wind it is the corruption that is true, however it goes even deeper than that and Mr. Wiley’s letter speaks to that. In Cape Vincent certain people have an attitude of entitlement this is why we have a corruption problem. The town board meetings and planning board meetings have a surreal atmosphere. Some of our board members have a warped sense of right and wrong, essentially they have been left to their own devises for so long that they have been writing their own rules. Many of our board members have a because I said so mentality, it is our town our Community and we will do with it what we want.

In Other words just pay your taxes and shut -up!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Little History of Cape Vincent(As I see it)
By
Harold Wiley

Cape Vincent is, has and always will be a beautiful town and village on the bank of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. We have the most beautiful sunsets, sunrises and moonlit nights, all unsurpassed by any others in the world. Our beautiful clean St. Lawrence River is a sight to behold with ships and boats passing on a beautiful day, in a very relaxing atmosphere.
Lets go back to my fond memories of Cape Vincent and how it has progressed or possibly digressed over my 80 plus years of living here.

First of all, I remember five thriving hotels, four successful grocery stores, one dry goods and clothing store, one movie theater, two hardware stores, one lumberyard, two gristmills and feed stores, one pharmacy and drug store, two resident dentists, one family doctor and one resident undertaker who also served as ambulance service for the town. We also had four gas stations and garages and one new car dealership. Where have they all gone and why? We do have one big asset in our community, a thriving bank, the Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent. Thanks to a strong board of directors, the bank has survived through thick and thin and still manages to keep on growing.
Cape Vincent started out as a small, growing community with everyone supporting local business and keeping them going. The old story, live, let live and help others live. The hotels used to fill up in the summer with corporation and business executives when they came to fish and relax for a weekend , keeping a guides association busy taking them fishing, relaxing and providing shore dinners on the beautiful St. Lawrence.
Then these people began to realize that they could bring their families, pitch a tent on the beautiful shores of the St. Lawrence River, row a boat, fish relax and enjoy the beauty of the area. Soon they began bringing campers and trailers
And put them on the banks of the beautiful River. And permanent trailers were installed as summer homes for many people.
Then they began trailering boats to the area, bigger and better every year. Mobile home parks were established and permanent trailers were installed as summer homes for many people.
Many mobile home park owners made good money with these parks, but some of the people that built beautiful homes along the river started to complain that there were too many tin cans obstructing the beautiful view of the river. I would hate to think what our tax base would be if it were not for mobile home parks and summer homes along the river. Again, it helped our tax base and allowed for many improvements in our town.

We need and appreciate these people very much but again, live and let live.

I believe the next project after the negative discussion of tin cans along the river was the merger of Cape Vincent and Clayton School districts into one great district. Was it plain and simple? No. There were many meetings and negative discussions about the increase in taxes, etc. Our school board prevailed, the district was formed and we have a school district to be proud of today as it is recognized as one of the best in the northern area. It attracted good teachers, superintendents, principals, coaches, etc.

Again live, let live and help others live.

The next huge issue to come before the residents of Cape Vincent was the building of a prison in our town. This really aroused people the the point of turning friends and neighbors against each other again. When it was first mentioned at a town board meeting the comment was “Do you want Cape Vincent Known as a prison town?”

Times passed and many public meetings overflowing with hands for and against. Finally, with a strong town board, a decision was reached. Property was purchased and the prison was built. It has provided many jobs for local men and women (good paying jobs). It has also brought other people to move here, rent homes, built homes and helped boost our economy. What other business was about to come to Cape Vincent with a 12 to 13 million dollar pay roll. It has helped keep Cape Vincent alive and well and provided many jobs.

Again live, let live and help others live.

The next issue was a water line running from Cape Vincent to Brownville. Was it easy? No. There was much opposition from people who had good wells next door to people who didn’t have good water. They were all set and didn’t care about their neighbor or others along the water line. Our local town board worked hard and long to provide what was the best for the majority of the people and get the water line through and since has water going off in other directions to serve the people of Cape Vincent.

Again, live, let live and help others live.

This brings us up to our latest discussion and controversy over windmills. It has been a long and arduous battle pro and con. Again, with all other problems that we have had you must respect and listen to opinions and still get along for the best of majority.

The past election though the majority of absentee ballots, brings us a new supervisor and town councilman new to politics in our area. Many of these same people who elected our new supervisor through absentee ballots are the same ones plus many others who have made themselves a comfortable living here on the river or elsewhere that have been against most of the progress proposals that come to Cape Vincent. It is in my thoughts that they have no concern for neighbors, relatives and friends who also want to better themselves here in Cape .Again, that is their opinion and must be respected for it, they have a right to it as we all do.
In closing, I would hope our new supervisor and councilman will have the best interests of all the people in their thoughts and decisions when they are made.

Again, live, let live and help others live.
When I think about our past supervisors and who they were, they were there for all the right reasons, to make Cape Vincent a better place to live.
Our newly elected supervisor, Urban Hirschey, is a stranger to many in our town. The first so called summer resident who has ever been elected to supervisor. Let’s hope he will get well- known to all of us and do what is right for the majority in Cape Vincent and not a select few. I wish him well and hope he gets to know Cape Vincent the way many of us do.

Again, live, let live and help others live.

P.S. I think the windmills will come
and I think they should. I wouldn’t want one but for those that do, I hope they get them. After they are in we can all sit back and enjoy the benefits from them as we all do with controversial issues that have passed over the years.

Harold Wiley

Aubertine out as Energy chair

JUDE SEYMOUR
First published: January 06, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Last modified: January 06, 2010 at 1:40 pm

AUBERTINEState Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, has been replaced as the Senate Energy & Telecommunications chairman, according to Liz Benjamin at the New York Daily Times.

State Sen. John Sampson, the Democratic Conference leader, gave the post to state Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, in a show of bipartisanship.



Senator Maziarz at Senate Energy Press Conference March 23, 2009 Darrel Aubertine is pictured in the back ground.

---

Mr. Aubertine will remain chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane ~ Senate Energy press conferance March 23,2009

"First they're taking our money then they're taking our power"

Graham opposes 'slick lawyering' subsidy deal

By ROBERT BRAUCHLE
TIMES STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2010

The Watertown City Council, and more specifically Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham, has big issues with the economic benefits being offered to the developers of the Galloo Island Wind Farm project.

The mayor has lashed out on his WATN 1240-AM radio show, his blog and Monday night at the City Council meeting against the proposed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement because, he says, it will minimize the amount of sales tax that flows to the city.



 Link--> here <--to the original article

Galloo Island Cumulative Effects

I found this letter on line; I decided to post it because it directly relates to the Galloo Island Wind project.
Wolfe Island now has industrial wind turbines, the cumulative effects will be devastating to bird populations in Eastern Ontario and New York State.


Robert Miller
Canadian Renewable Energy Corp
c/o Stantec Consulting Limited
361 Southgate Drive
Guelph, Ontario K1G 3MS

CEAR 04-04-4667 Wolfe Island Wind Turbine Project: ERR

Dear Mr. Miller,

The purpose of this letter is to state my persistent concerns about the Cumulative Effects Report of Environmental Review Report (ERR) released by Stantec in support of the proposed Wolfe Island Wind Turbine Project and to request that the process be elevated to a panel review according to the federal process and an independent environmental review according to the provincial process.

ERR Cumulative Effects
The ERR Cumulative Effects (Chapter 8) refers to the transboundary effects of developments in the Point Peninsula and Upper St. Lawrence IBAs, the Ashland Bird Conservation Reserve and regionally significant shoreline and grassland habitat in Jefferson County, New York. It also includes development in Kingston and surrounding areas.

I have reviewed the section pertaining to the projected cumulative effects of the project with regard to certain and reasonably foreseeable activities at a regional level (ERR 8.1). I am concerned that the proponent has excluded the following wind turbine projects proposed within the zone of influence for the Wolfe Island ERR:

• 77 turbine project for Galloo Island, Henderson County, New York, by UpState NY Power Corp
• 80-100 turbine project for Amherst Island (owned by the proponent, CREC)

I also contend that cumulative effects of wind turbine developments in other Important Bird Areas (IBA) along the northern lakeshore of eastern Ontario should be considered in the ERR. These projects include:

• 140 turbine project offshore in Prince Edward County by Trillium Power Energy Corporation
• Point Petre, the Royal Road Project (owned by the proponent)

These projects should be added to the projects included in the cumulative effects report:

• 200 turbine projects for Jefferson County, New York by BP Alternative Energy Project and AES Acciona Wind power. Jefferson County has four proposed wind farms on the drawing board, all in various phases of planning.

The sudden, intensive concentration of turbines along the southern and northern shores of eastern Lake Ontario inside Important Bird Areas will certainly alter the Eastern Ontario environment and biodiversity through nibbling loss and spatial and temporal crowding, and will dramatically effect migratory bird populations. The current ERR indicates a significant, irreversible negative effects on avian populations as a result of foreseeable activities in the region. These “foreseeable activities” must include wind turbine projects in development for Amherst Island and Galloo Island.

Galloo Island
Galloo Island, New York, an IBA located in Eastern Lake Ontario across from Wolfe and Amherst Islands, is in the introductory stages of the approval process and is reasonably foreseeable. The Municipal Planning Board for the Town of Hounsfield has received site plans from the company which describe the construction of 77 turbines. The Planning Board is awaiting responses from lead agencies in the first step of the SEQR process. Galloo Island will impact cumulative effects related to migratory and congregatory birds as well as visual landscape, cultural and economic effects for Wolfe Island.

Galloo Island hosts an exceptional breeding concentration of colonial waterbirds, including the largest Ring-billed Gull colony in the U.S. (an estimated 60,000 pairs in 2003), New York’s only Caspian Tern colony (1,560 pairs in 2004), and the largest Double-crested Cormorant colony in New York (3,967 pairs in 2004). Smaller numbers of Blackcrowned Night-Herons (three pairs in 2004), Herring Gulls (313 pairs in 2003), and Great Black-backed Gulls (12 pairs in 2003) nest on the island as well. (Source: Audubon Society, 2007)

Amherst Island
Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), an official stakeholder, indicated concerns that the Amherst Island project, owned by the proponent (CREC), be identified as a significant regional activity for consideration in the study. Stantec excluded Amherst Island, describing the project as “not reasonably foreseeable.” (ERR Table 8.1) Stantec also excluded developments in Prince Edward County, and additional concern for KEDCO.

Stantec states that the Amherst Island Wind Project was excluded from the CEA analysis as it is only a “prospect” and is not yet in the approval process. Public information available from residents of Amherst Island and media sources belies the assertion that the Amherst Island Project is not foreseeable. Land has been optioned for years, research has been completed by Vector and Gaia Wind companies, a previous site plan proposal is available, and the project is progressing and expanding following the acquisition of land-lease options by the proponent.

Amherst Island is included in the Visual Change Model of the ERR when considering negative effects on landscape viewing but is excluded from sections dealing with effects on avian populations.

Amherst Island is situated 4 km east of Kingston and rests between Wolfe Island to the east and Prince Edward County peninsula to the west. Amherst Island is a recognized IBA and is considered globally and continentally significant with regard to congregatory species (http://www.bsc-eoc.org/iba/site.jsp?siteID=ON062). Wolfe and Amherst Islands have gained international recognition for concentrations of wintering hawks and owls that are often present. Amherst Island is one of the few remaining breeding habitats for raptors such as Rough-Legged and Red-Tailed Hawks and owls. Short-Eared Owls are recognized under COSEWIC to be of Special Concern. Amherst and Wolfe Islands also support grassland songbirds; species with dwindling populations due to habitat fragmentation, according to the Canadian IBA Directory and the Audubon Society (2007).

The Canadian IBA Directory states that Wolfe Island and Amherst Island share the same potential and ongoing threats: disturbance, intensified management, urban and industrial development.

Negative Effects on Avian Populations in Eastern Ontario and New York IBAs
The ERR states that the project on Wolfe Island will result in significant negative effects on populations of raptors. The ancillary and access roads will fragment habitat, nests will be disturbed and the breeding and flight displays of Short-Eared Owls will make breeding pairs highly susceptible to blade strike. The ERR anticipates that the baseline population of Short-Eared Owls will decline and populations will not recover for the life of the project. A similar prediction is made with regard to Rough-legged Hawks. The ERR predicts that Bald Eagles will likely relocate permanently to avoid being “hemmed in” by the more than 200 turbines to be erected in New York and 86 turbines along western and southern shores of Wolfe Island. Mitigation strategies will not prevent the decline of SARA identified species as well as populations of grassland birds and raptors below baseline levels, according to the ERR.

“The negative cumulative effects on avian mortality and migration in the region will be long-term and irreversible” (ERR, Table 8.3 Significance of Cumulative Effects).

Questions that Remain Unanswered
• What would be the cumulative effect of the projects in Jefferson County (200 turbines) and Galloo Island (77 turbines), the Amherst Island and Wolfe Island projects (186 turbines) and the Prince Edward Point projects (153 turbines) on the baseline population of Short-Eared Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, and Bald Eagle in the Eastern Lake Ontario region?
• What would be the cumulative effect on other raptor species, grassland songbird populations and migratory birds (including waterfowl)?

The ERR states that migrating waterfowl, grassland birds and raptors will alter migration and other behaviors to avoid large concentrations of turbines. Given the density of turbines projected for the northern and southern shores:

• Where will avian populations find refuge in the region? Can the proponent identify remaining regional habitat suitable for sustaining displaced avian populations?

The CEA boundary for consideration of cumulative effects should be expanded to include Galloo Island, Amherst Island and the developments in Prince Edward Point IBA, and should include the potential effects of avian mortality, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and changes to migration patterns. The current ERR indicates a significant, irreversible negative effects on avian populations as a result of foreseeable activities in the region.

I respectfully request that the ERR for the Wolfe Island Wind Project be elevated to a panel review according to the federal process and be elevated to an independent environmental review according to the provincial process.

Leslie Kaduck
Ottawa, ON

In Shadow of Fenner Collapse Italian utility Enel is looking to raise US$7-billion from asset sales

Deal, or no deal


The economy is not exactly flying. For many companies, the only certainty is that improving revenues is going to tough. Cost-cutting and margin improvement are more urgent priorities that big corporate deals.

Italian utility Enel is looking to raise US$7-billion from asset sales before the end of 2010 to cut debt and keep a single-A credit rating. A healthier banking system could also help if lenders are willing to take the losses that come with restructurings at struggling companies.