An Ontario Superior Court of Justice has found that the Province acted properly in setting regulations for placement of large wind turbines.
A panel of judges rejected an application from anti-wind activists who had sought to strike down regulations governing how close turbines can be erected to dwellings.
Turbines must be located at least 550 metres from dwellings. But the anti-wind groups had argued that the province had no scientific basis for setting that standard.
The groups had argued that the health effects of living close to big turbines are unknown, and, as a precaution, development should be curtailed until better information is available.
If their application to strike down the 550-metre setback had succeeded, it might have halted further development of wind power in Ontario.
The court ruled that the province’s environment department had followed due process in creating the setback. The court also found that there was public consultation, and the government considered “science-based evidence” in making its decision, it said.
Persons living close to wind farms can apply to the Environmental Review Tribunal who can consider the placement of turbines on a case-by-case basis, the court ruled.
Read a copy of the Chief Medical Officer of Ontario’s report on the potential health impacts of wind turbines.
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