“No Action likely”: An Exploration of Institutional Bias Against Citizen Complaints about Wind Turbine Noise and Adverse Health Effects as Demonstrated by the Government in Ontario, Canada

The Nation Rise wind power project was the last industrial-scale or grid-scale wind power project approved in Ontario, Canada despite controversy, opposition and legal action from the “host” community, and even an attempt by the environment minister himself to stop it. Problems surfaced early for the project, months before it was granted a formal commercial operation date, as residents complained of noise from the wind turbines. Documents including email correspondence referencing noise complaints made to the provincial government’s environment ministry were obtained via Freedom of Information legislation. The Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has a mandate to protect the environment and to enforce existing regulations. The documents appear to show that the environment ministry of the Government of Ontario had no intention of taking action on the citizen complaints. The only action evident was cursory responses to complaints, and simply logging events; no other action appears to have been taken by the staff in the environment ministry, which is the regulator for wind turbine power projects. Email correspondence between ministry staff and the wind power developer/operator demonstrates a casual, even cosy relationship, so much so that a senior environmental officer, representing the government as a regulator, actually asked the power plant operator what to do about the noise complaints. The correspondence may indicate institutional bias toward the operator, and against the public. Our findings: 1) Complaints about noise from wind turbines arose early on in this power generation project, before Commercial Operation date was determined as part of its contract. 2) Ministry staff seem unprepared in terms of wind turbine noise, how to deal with the public, and on the ministry’s own noise complaint process. 3) Ministry staff seem to lack support from upper levels in the ministry. 4) Correspondence indicates a preferential relationship between the ministry, which is the regulator, and the wind power operators.