Priceless

Eileen McGlynn and Carole Ferguson, Letter to the Editor

The Watertown 'corridor’ south of Pincher Creek is not being recognized as an area worthy of environmental protection. The destruction of this pristine and valuable landscape will be forever and irreversibly damaged by industrial wind power development.

The Alberta Government plans to enact the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP) by the end of 2014. It establishes a Government Appointed Board to control land-use planning; overriding the rights of local Municipal Governments and landowners on both Crown and private land. The primary focus of the SSRP is economic development strategies and objectives; two of which are removing barriers to renewable energy development and promoting power infrastructure that supports linkages to markets.


Take a drive along Hwy. #3 and north between Pincher Station and Brocket and experience industrial scale wind development and the visual impact, noise, flicker and disturbing vibrations and consider the impact of 24/7 exposure. This is not compatible with wildlife and the natural beauty of our area, families, community values, tourism, recreation, quality of life, fair land values and much more. A few local landowners profit while the majority pay a high price and endure unjust negative impacts.

The Alberta Government remains committed to it’s Green Energy agenda to meet CO2 emission reduction targets. Wind power is not green energy. It is an inefficient and unreliable source of power which requires fossil fuel back up and hundreds of kilometers of transmission infrastructure. AESO’s 2012 Market Stats 5-year efficiency rates are 27-33%. How many hundreds of wind towers and kilometers of transmission lines will it take? Will all land south of Vulcan be sacrificed for carbon credits?  This does not qualify as a public good. Gas fired power produces cost efficient, reliable power with less resulting CO2 emissions and far less negative impacts.

Wind developers and power companies are in business to make money and maximize profits for investors while generous government subsidies distort common sense economics by providing strong incentives to build, with no limits. Neither serve the best interests of the people or the environment.

Are we to become victims of government agendas and corporate power or can we, as a community, become informed and stand united to protect one another as residents and landowners in community, as protectors of the environment and stewards of the land?

Public consultation on the SSRP closes February 28. Contact your MLA, Mayor or Reeve for information on how this legislation will impact you and the future of this area. Get involved. Ask for a copy or complete the SSRP workbook online at  www.landuse.alberta.ca *

Concerned landowners have been making an effort to contact every resident and landowner in Divisions 1 & 2 to complete and compile statements opposing industrial wind development in this area to take to government. There is already a majority in opposition and the numbers are climbing.

Your opinion does matter ....be heard. If you have not been contacted call Eileen at # 627-2207.

Eileen McGlynn and Carole Ferguson

*corrected