The spokesperson for Water Wells First says the municipality's latest motion to address the effect of wind turbine construction on local well water "hasn't come soon enough."
Water Wells First is an activist group in Chatham-Kent protesting against wind turbine construction that is believed to be the causing contamination of several water wells in the area.
Spokesperson Kevin Jakubec says there are now five well interference complaints in North Kent. Jakubec says the wind turbine companies have also recently began installing directly across from his property on Greenvalley Line in Dresden.
The municipality passed a motion Monday night to request wind turbine construction be halted until water well issues have been fully addressed. The motion also included a request that the Ministry of Environment hire and pay for a neutral third party expert to test the wells.
"Anybody can ask the Ministry of Environment to stop the project. We've been asking for several months now. If council thinks they have more pull than we do, more power to them -- but I'm not really hopeful," Jakubec says.
Jakubec also doesn't see the merit in hiring another well expert to do tests that his group has already arranged and conducted.
"We do have that, that is Water Wells First. We are the independent. The issue is that because we're independent and because we represent the well owner, we are on the other side of the table than the municipality," explains Jakubec.
He argues that the municipality's ties to the wind projects are a "conflict of interest."
"How can you invest $8-million and sit on that one side, then turn around and sit on the other side of the table and say you're here to protect our families?" asks Jakubec.
