With wind farm decision expected Friday, Port au Port residents are divided

A decision onreleasinga proposed wind-energy projectfor the Port au Port Peninsula from environmental assessment is looming, with Environment Minister Bernard Davis expected todeliver an update Friday.

Residents on the peninsula raised concerns almost immediately when the proposal to place 164 wind turbines throughout the area, along with agreen hydrogen and ammoniaplant in nearbyStephenville was announced.

On Wednesday, with the decision imminent, Cape St. Goerge Mayor Stella Cornectsaid her community is divided on the project.

"There's a lot of negative comments. A lot.[But] there are some for [the project]," said Cornect.

A committee of 18 people, made up of town councillors from the four municipalities in the region andrepresentatives fromthe area's 11 local service districts, is taskedwith keepingresidents informed andtaking concerns directly to the provincial government andWorld Energy GH2, theumbrella company of four partnersbehind the proposal.

Cornect said there areconcerns about noise from the turbinesbut added it didn't appear to bean issue with a wind farm built eight years ago in Haldimand County, south of Hamilton, Ont., visited by some members of the committee.

"It was really no concern and these wind turbines we saw were right on the people'sland," she said.

"We walked right up to the turbines, we were right there by them. There was birds flying around. We didn't see at the time any negative impacts."

Turbines proposed for the Port au Port Peninsula can be no closer to any building than one kilometre, said John Risley,chairman and chief executive officerofCFFI Venturespart of the group behindWorld Energy GH2 in a public meeting with residents in early July.

Most of the opposition comes from those wanting to protect the environment, said Cornect. New roadways will be needed during the construction phaseif it goes ahead.

Cornect said the regional committee has asked Davis to delay Friday's decision and want a "very detailed" environmental study if the project is approved.

Keeping an open mind

Jasen Benwah, chief of the Benoit First Nation andPort au Port ward councillor for Qalipu First Nation, said he first heard about the project in June when the proposal was announcedbecause prior discussions involved offshore wind turbines.

He said his jawdropped when he saw the map of where the proposed turbines would be.

"The first impression was shock, for sure," he said.

But Benwahsaid he has been keeping an open mind. He was part of the group that travelled to Ontario to see first-hand how large-scale wind farms operate.

He said he'sremaining neutral to the idea of a similar project ending up near his home.

"Is it the same as the situation here? No. It's not. We saw a lot of windmills, they were on farmers' land, they were all spinning.I didn't hear any noise and they all spin slowly," he said.

"I saw tons of birds below the windmills going around, flying out of the grass and I saw higher birds flying, which I assume are birds of prey, that worked deliberately around the blades. Farmers' fields are neat and tidy. I was looking for issues when I went there. I didn't see any issues in that regard."

Benwah said it's difficult to compare the Ontario project with the proposal for the Port au Port Peninsula because nobody knows how it will look yet. He said he was told by officials during the Ontario trip that residents of that area had similar concerns early on to those on Newfoundland's west coast.

"The mayor said that in the last five years not one complaint from the windmill farm came on his desk," said Benwah.

Cornect said theHaldimand County area isreaping economic benefits, something she said her community and surrounding communities desperately need.

She wants residents tokeep an open mind to the idea.

"We have a dying community, so is this company going to come in, are we going to get great benefits, are we going to get people working? We can't close our minds to the industry," she said.

"We definitely need a boost. We have only so much money to go around. All our communities need money."

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