Chatham-Kent's mayor is addressing the latest concerns from local water wells activists with a written statement and a request of his own.
That statement is once again calling for members of Water Wells First (WWF) to provide scientific evidence of their claims.
The emailed response follows a request from WWF for the mayor to take part in an impromptu press conference Wednesday morning.
Mayor Hope points out that while the group is showing off jars with sediment, "there has been nothing brought to the municipality that indicates there is any connection [with wind farm development]."
He says if there is any evidence, the group needs to bring it forward to the authorities.
As for what the municipality is doing to address Well Water First's concerns, Hope says he wrote a letter to Ontario's Minister of Environment and Climate Change as recently as April, "notifying him of local concerns and asking that the province use its technical and legislative power to ensure all necessary steps are being taken to ensure water quality would not be compromised."
He also says that while "the municipality doesn't have the power to approve or prohibit the construction of turbines, it has consistently acted as an advocate for residents."
The statement closes by saying that North Kent Wind has been conducting local water well testing for local well owners as part of its Renewable Energy Approval and that Otter Creek Wind has also agreed to conduct water well testing for local owners.
