Presentation to the Environmental Review Tribunal

Hearings of May 2013

Sophiasburg, Ontario

by Alban C. Goddard Hill

Eastern Lake Ontario Environmental Research Group

in support of the Appeal of

the December 2012  MoE Director’s Decision

in the matter of Industrial Wind Turbines

at Ostrander Point, Prince Edward County, Ontario,

being made by

the Association for the Protection of Prince Edward County

*

Part II, Human Health

Mr. Chairman, Madame Co Chair,  and Honoured Guests,

My name is Alban Goddard Hill.

I live in Belleville, Ontario.

My own public interest group

is called…. the Eastern Lake Ontario Environmental Research Group,

which was formed in the year 2000.

My presentation today is in support of

the Appeal of the MoE Decision in Ostrander

to the Environmental Review Tribunal

by APPEC.

Mr. Chairman, as I am a physician

I would…. like to address

the human health implications  of IWT’s.

In this regard I draw your attention

to Appendices III , IV, V and VI…. of my submission,

Mr. Chairman,

in the past decade ….there has been a very large increase

in the number of…  physician operated Sleep Clinics  in Ontario.

There are now literally hundreds…. of these Clinics,

which are designed to help patients….. who have Sleep Disorders,

of which there are  number of types.

As a consequence….    much research….. has been done,   

and sleep disorders are now a recognized cause

of a variety of effects….

on both physical and mental health,

some of them being…… quite serious.

One of the common effects of IWT’s

on people who live in their vicinity….. is ….

not surprisingly………sleep disturbance.

It seems likely, therefore,

that some of those people

will suffer some of the health effects…

which are known to be caused by ….sleep deprivation.

Appendix III… is a summary,  from one source,

of some of the literature on sleep deprivation.

Appendix III documents

a wide variety of physiologic effects of sleep deprivation,

or in other words, a wide variety of health effects.

(77 references, verified)

I know that

the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario

was asked about IWT’s….a couple of years ago……

and it would be of great interest

to have had the Chief MOH ,

or …. indeed any….. Ontario ….Medical Officer of Health

attend this hearing

to interpret that review.

However it is not the Department of Health

which regulates Air Quality  in Ontario…..

it is the Ministry of Environment.

The MoE was created in 1970 …..for that express purpose….

to regulate ..Air Quality…..and air pollution…

and therefore it seems that

the public health people are ..not ….inclined… primarily

to address air pollution issues…..it’s not their job.

Unfortunately,

although the MoE…  got off to a good start   ….back in 1970…

in the regulation of Air Pollution ,

more recently…

their behavior in this arena ….has consistently been…

Regressive…. and ……Devious.

I have personally seen…. half a dozen examples of this

in Eastern Ontario alone….in the last 20 years.

I regret to say…..that…. 43 years after it was formed,

in the regulation of air pollution, at least,

the MoE…. has lost the public trust.

Mr. Chairman, you are being asked to determine

whether the health effects of IWT’s

either  individually….. or collectively,

constitute “serious harm” …..to human health.

However  it will…. not…. be possible

to make a fully informed decision on this question

until the results of health studies

which are currently underway

become available.

In this circumstance it may be helpful instead

to consider the health effects of

MoE Director’s Decisions….and of MoE…regulatory behavior…

as a Surrogate…

for the health effects of IWTs.

In other words,

a consideration of the…..Epidemiology….

of recent MoE Reglatory Behaviour….in this Region

is very relevant to your determination

of whether serious harm to human health

could accrue

from the Director’s Decision…in Ostrander.

Appendix V is provided ..for that purpose.

So Mr. Chairman, in conclusion,

at Ostrander Point,  these IWT machines will…..

make people ill.

Furthermore,

as Appendix V illustrates

the Director’s decision on Ostrander

has clearly been… compromised…..

by the documented pattern of past conduct  …

by the MoE ….in the regulation of air pollution

in eastern Ontario …over the past 15 years.

Mr. Chairman, and Madam Co Chair…..

for these…. reasons,

I urge you to suspend

the Director’s decision

until a fully informed analysis

of human health effects…. can be made.

Mr. Chairman.

Belleville, Ontario                           April 20, 2013

Appendices I – V at eloerg.tripod.com/waupoos2012