Arnott tables wind turbine petition in legislature

Each day the Ontario legislature sits, 15 minutes are set aside for MPPs to present petitions on behalf of their constituents.

While that part of the legislative day is rarely reported, the right to petition parliament is a democratic tradition that is centuries old.

On Dec. 8, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott exercised that right on behalf of his constituents, presenting a petition calling for a moratorium on the development of wind farms and wind turbines until an independent health study is concluded.

The petition was substantial, containing 433 signatures on 39 pages.

“I have long maintained that the [Dalton] McGuinty government should do an honest study on the potential impact to human health from wind turbines,” Arnott said. “We continue to call upon them to do so.”

The petition suggests that the government should:

“Immediately put a moratorium on all industrial wind proposals; fund an independent epidemiological health study to develop safe setbacks; legislate those findings; develop stringent environmental protection standards for natural areas; and require all projects to comply with regulations based on science and local planning.”