| The Alberta Wilderness Association is opposing a planned wind farm near Cypress Hills Provincial Park, claiming it would destroy views of the park and would disturb some of the last remaining native prairie in the province.
Meanwhile, the owner of the Ontario-based company that’s planning to put up the wind farm, David Boileau of West WindEau Corporation, says it doesn’t make sense that environmental groups are opposing green energy generation.
Cliff Wallis, past president of the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) says the conservation group is generally supportive of wind energy but he says some areas aren’t appropriate locations for wind farms.
"We’re looking at a substantial number of wind turbines… on fragile native prairie that’s largely gone elsewhere," says Wallis. "(Wind energy) is not good everywhere. I don’t want a wind farm all along the spine of the Rockies and I don’t think most Albertans do either."
Wallis says an environmental impact assessment should be required, and there should be a formal public process before any wind farm is approved in the province.
Boileau says so far his company hasn’t even submitted a formal proposal to Cypress County for approval. He says no exact site has been chosen for the wind farm but the project would likely consist of 70 wind turbines. The area Boileau is looking at includes both private land and public land with grazing leases.
"It wouldn’t be fair for me to say we wouldn’t be considering operating right up to the park boundary," says Boileau. "The wind farm could also be several kilometres away as well."
Wallis says land bordering Cypress Hills Provincial Park is considered to have international significance by the Northern Plains Conservation Network and the World Wildlife Fund.
"This is one of the Number 1 places when you look at temperate grasslands… in North America they’ve largely disappeared," says Wallis, adding that wind turbines and access roads will rip up the rare native prairie. Wallis says the company could still have a wind farm in Cypress County without locating it on sensitive native prairie. He says the AWA will oppose any kind of industrial development on intact grasslands.
"Let’s start looking at some of the degraded farmland that isn’t as productive and put wind farms there," says Wallis. "It’s not green when it’s done everywhere… all we’re saying is there should be a public process and a weighing of values."
Boileau says his company will be taking community and environmental group concerns into account when planning the wind farm, but believes it should be seen as a sustainable land use. He argues wind farms could end up playing a big part in preserving the native prairie because they would give farmers and ranchers an opportunity to make some extra money so they can hold onto their land.
"The greatest threat to grassland is people can’t make a living so they sell the land for other uses," he says.
Boileau says he also finds it hypocritical that an environmental group would oppose a wind farm.
"You can’t argue you want clean air and renewable energy but say go away and do it somewhere else," he says.
Jack Osadczuk, Reeve of Cypress County, confirms that the county hasn’t received a formal wind farm application yet. He says the county is working on a bylaw that would regulate wind farms and there’s already controversy in the community about the application.
"There was opposition, mainly the skyline opposition. They think (wind turbines) are ugly. It’s the whole NIMBY thing. They all think it’s great but not in their backyard," says Osadczuk. "It’s just mostly overreaction right now. The environmental groups oppose any kind of development."
Osadczuk says he personally doesn’t see why people might be opposed to a wind farm.
"I can’t think of anything more environmentally friendly than this," he says. "This is clean energy. I’m kind of amused about (the AWA) approach to it." |
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