Letter of Concern and Complaint

Letter of Concern and Complaint

Date;

To;

MOECC Area Supervisor Mark Smith Pg 1 of 2

4510 Rhodes Drive

Windsor

Ontario

ON N8W 5K5

Dear Supervisor Smith

I am writing to express grave concern in how groundwater resources of Southern Ontario are not receiving proper attention and are not being given proper follow thru with the conditions the MOECC have put in place in the North Kent 1 Windfarm project; REA Permit issued June 29th, 2016; # 5272-A9FHRL; this wind facility is to be located in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

Many residents whose families including my own depend on the groundwater supplied from the confined contact aquifer in North Chatham-Kent are not seeing REA Permit Conditions G1 to G4 and Conditions V1 & V2 executed properly by AECOM Ltd working on behalf of their client North Kent 1, owned by Pattern Energy and Samsung.

We only received a well survey from the wind farm developer’s consultant AECOM Ltd 2 weeks before the Christmas holidays with instructions to complete and return the form by January 1; a statutory holiday.

Supervisor; This is unreasonable. The permit was issued on June 29th, 2016. The developer and their consultant had the entire months of July, August, September and October to do the required work of conducting a baseline well water survey and taking a baseline well water sample.

I then received a Fed Ex letter just prior to New Years that an extension will be granted to January 16th, 2017. Supervisor this is still unreasonable. The survey requires a knowledge of technical facts that are beyond my abilities.

I have learned the database the MOECC uses and provides to the public online to locate water wells in the province is grossly inaccurate and this has lead to great frustration and disappointment in my ability to participate to help protect Ontario’s natural resource.

I want to and I will participate in the well survey and in the well water sampling. I want to protect Ontario’s most precious natural resource-groundwater. This is my intention. That is why I write to you to ask for your help in this matter.

Pg 2 of 2

This REA Permit issued June 29th, 2016; # 5272-A9FHRL; Condition G1 of this permit the MOECC placed on the developer clearly states no construction of the windfarm can proceed until the well survey and the baseline testing for the parameters in condition G3 of the permit are done.

I ask you on behalf of my family, the hundreds of families in the North Kent 1 windfarm boundaries as defined by the REA Permit and the thousands of rural families across Ontario who depend on safe potable groundwater; please ensure the REA Permit conditions are upheld to the highest standard and direct the MOECC to follow this permit’s condition G10 which deals with public complaints and gives the MOECC the authority to direct and correct the actions of the developer; to tell the developer to extend the time reasonably to complete Conditions G1 to G4 to at least March 16th, 2017 for well survey and baseline well water sampling completion.

We must prioritize the protection of Ontario’s freshwater supplies at a higher value over a developer wanting to begin a fast construction.

I also want to draw your attention to AECOM Ltd not following the proper establishing of the Community Liaison Committee as set out by Conditions V1 and V2 of this permit. Establishing the Community Liaison Committee within 3 months of this permit being issued; a requirement written in condition V1 was not honoured by the developer or their consultant.

Further condition V2 was not honoured by the developer or their consultant. I received a letter from AECOM Ltd in December, 2016 acting on behalf of their client North Kent 1 Windfarm informing me that in order to participate in the Community Liaison Committee I would have to enter into written charter agreement. Supervisor this is not a requirement anywhere written in Section V of this permit. I was further instructed by AECOM Ltd that signing this charter agreement was a requirement before AECOM would select the 12-member panel for the Community Liaison Committee.

Supervisor, no where is it written anywhere in Section V of this permit that the consultant selects at their discretion the representation for the community. This violates the REA permit conditions.

I ask you for your help, for an Ontario that follows proper and fair democratic representation that the MOECC be directed to use condition G10 of this permit dealing with receiving public complaints that the MOECC intervene and if needed appoint a neutral 3rd party facilitator in place of the developer’s consultant to see proper following of Section V conditions for establishing a Community Liaison Committee are followed.

Our groundwater provides the basis not only for our family’s access to safe potable water but also underpins the real estate value of our rural home. We cannot live in Rural Ontario without good water wells. We cannot rush or cut any corners the MOECC have placed to safeguard groundwater.

Date; Signature;