In a victory for provincial wind developers, Ontario's Environmental Review Tribunal dismissed a claim brought by local residents asserting that wind turbines pose a health hazard to those living in close proximity.
On Dec. 29, a panel of three Divisional Court judges ruled against the claims of four Ontario families who were concerned about the potential health effects of living as close as 500 meters to wind turbines.
The Environmental Review Tribunal ruled that there was no conclusive proof that wind turbines pose a health hazard to those living in close proximity.
The Tribunal's decision upheld earlier approvals by the Environmental Ministry, which had approved the projects. Earlier this year, a Health Canada study found no direct causal relationship linking wind turbines to human health.
According to several Canadian media outlets, the case was considered the first constitutional challenge to the Green Energy Act to reach the appellate court level.
