Water Wells First and a local MPP are demanding that public health opens up an investigation now that families near the North Kent Wind project must go back to drinking from their “visibly polluted” wells.
These reports were sent after Water Wells First sent laboratory tests to the ministry that revealed a 14,000 fold increase in black shale particles since construction started on the wind farm north of Chatham, which is a joint venture between North-Kent Wind, Samsung, and Pattern Energy.
“They cited unknown factors to be the cause and yet offered no explanation to the area effect that was seen,” says Jakubec.
He says families have now been told by the MOE that they can start drinking their well water again.
“If they take the filters out and let that water go through their house, they would have all this black shale going into their washing machine to do laundry, it’d be clogging their shower…it’d be coming out into the sink… you’d have bedrock in your food.” Jakubec says families like the Brooks have no idea what to do.
“It’s alarming to see the ministry has simply dropped it’s responsibility,” he says.
Jakubec says it is now up to public health to determine whether the water is safe to drink.
The NDP sent a news release to BlackburnNewsCK.com on Monday stating that Essex MPP Taras Natyshak sent a letter to the MOE and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care calling on them to take these community concerns seriously and conduct an intensive health hazard investigation alongside the local medical officer of health.
“The Ontario NDP believes that water is a public trust,” says Natyshak.
“Ministry staff are finalizing their review of the information that will be provided to each complainant regarding the outcome of the ministry’s assessment of their complaint, including groundwater and vibration monitoring results,” says Wheeler.