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'News to us'

The fact that a company proposing to build a wind farm on the Nor’Wester Mountains has submitted its Renewable Energy Approval is news to the group opposing the project. MPP Bill Mauro (Lib.
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MPP Bill Mauro speaks to the NMEPC Thursday evening. (Jamie Smith tbnewswatch.com)
The fact that a company proposing to build a wind farm on the Nor’Wester Mountains has submitted its Renewable Energy Approval is news to the group opposing the project.

MPP Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) told members of the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee Thursday at the group’s monthly meeting that Horizon Wind Inc. submitted its REA Feb. 14.

Protection committee member Karl Piirik said no one from the group had heard anything about that even though protection committee members attended every open house the company held, submitted contact information and are supposed to be on the company’s email list.

"That’s huge news to us," Piirik told Mauro during the meeting at the South Neebing Community Centre Thursday evening.

Any wind-powered project proposal that will generate more than three kilowatts of power must submit for provincial approval. The submission must include everything from projected noise levels to public comment.

Horizon must have its REA approved by the province in order to move forward with its proposed Big Thunder Wind Park.

Piirik said the lack of public consultation from Horizon is one of the committee’s main concerns. No questions asked by committee members at the open houses have ever been answered by the company even though public comment is part of the REA.

"The whole process to date has been nuts," Piirik said. "The fact that we even need to be here is nuts."

But Mauro told the 50 protection committee members at the meeting that if their concerns haven’t been addressed under Horizon’s submission, the province wouldn’t approve the application.

"I actually look at that as a good thing (for the protection committee) not a bad thing," Mauro said. "They’re not doing what they’re supposed to do. Isn’t that a good thing?"

Mauro said he has always been against the proposed location for the Big Thunder Wind Park but apologized to the protection committee for not speaking publicly about it sooner.

Mauro explained that he didn’t want to "throw stones at the city".

"I don’t think it’s a good choice. I never have," he said.

Until the REA was submitted, Mauro said it wasn’t a provincial matter because the proposed 17,000-acre location is city property.




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