“What do cattle know that this premier doesn’t?”
–Ian Paton
B.C.’s cattle ranchers and guide outfitters are urging the province to reconsider exempting new wind and solar farms from environmental assessment, joining environmentalists in warning there could be unanticipated impacts to wildlife, land and water from the new projects.
The Cattlemen’s Association has written Energy Minister Adrian Dix saying its members are alarmed at not being consulted about the impact of nine new wind farms, and one new solar farm, on the agricultural land base they use for farming and cattle grazing.
“With the wildlife, vegetation and ecosystems we have here, that vary from one area to another, how can you just automatically assume you shouldn’t have an environmental assessment on what those are going to do in those particular areas,” said Kevin Boon, association general manager.
Cattle ranchers in Alberta have told their British Columbia colleagues that windmills there spook cattle and dramatically change their ability to use nearby land.
“The noise on them, number one the cattle don’t like so they don’t graze around them,” said Boon.
“The cattle don’t like [turbines] so they don’t graze around them.”
Kevin Boon
“The wildlife also don’t like the sound so they move out of the area. And what has happened is they have a concentration of wildlife to other areas, so they are using less land to graze their wildlife and cattle.”
The Guide Outfitters Association of BC has also written Dix “to express our strong opposition” to the idea, listing bird loss, habitat loss, impact on tenure holders and a lack of engagement with local communities.
“The province’s commitment to renewable energy is commendable, but it must not come at the expense of wildlife conservation, economic fairness, and meaningful stakeholder consultation,” the association wrote.
Exemption needed to meet growing demand, says minister
Dix announced in December he would exempt future wind and solar projects from environmental assessment in a bid to meet a growing demand for power with new clean independent power projects. Instead, the projects would go to the BC Energy Regulator for a less rigorous review.
BC Hydro approved nine new deals with independent wind farm companies — two near Logan Lake, four in the north and peace, one near Campbell River on Vancouver Island, one near Merritt and one near Kelowna. An additional solar farm is planned for near Logan Lake.
Dix said in an interview that he’s confident he’s made the right move, despite the concerns.
“These projects are what B.C. needs right now,” said Dix. “We need more energy. We need more clean energy. We can become a clean energy superpower.”
“These projects are what B.C. needs right now.”
Adrian Dix
“We have, in fact, done environmental assessments on wind farms in the past, so we understand what the issues are related to that, and we have significant permitting which we expect to be responsible for the B.C. Energy Regulator, for people to address these issues.”
Wind turbines alter natural systems
Another concern by the Cattlemen’s Association is related to the construction of the windmills, which can typically have blades up to 52 meters long. The extra-large trucks required to transport that kind equipment can’t navigate normal logging or industrial roads, requiring new roads to be built over useful land, with new culverts and drainage that redirects the flow of local groundwater.
“You are moving water off that landscape in a way that’s not natural,” said Boon.
“They are going to be sticking them right in the middle of that, creating roads that will affect those waterways and will affect the salmon spawning and yet they feel they can disregard an environmental assessment to even look at that.”
It’s a particular concern amidst increasing summer drought conditions, when water becomes so scarce that provincial legislation kicks in limiting the use for farmers in order to protect fish-bearing streams.
Other groups have also pushed back.
“The answer is more investment in the environmental assessment process… not to remove oversight.”
Torrance Coste
Torrance Coste, associate director of the Wilderness Committee, said the NDP government’s overall trend to fast-track new mining, natural gas and LNG projects, combined with exemptions for environmental review of solar and wind, is a major overall issue of contention.
“We’re pretty alarmed by this,” he said. The answer is more investment in the environmental assessment process to make it work better and faster, not to remove that oversight, said Coste. And the government shouldn’t use the threat of American tariffs to bypass that process, he said.
“To say we know the impacts we don’t need to assess them sets a really dangerous precedent for B.C.,” he said, adding that the cumulative impacts are of particular concern given all the industrial projects in the north.
Energy minister dismisses concerns
Opposition Conservative agriculture critic Ian Paton said imposing windmills onto Crown tenured land that farmers have invested money on for gates and other equipment is unfair.
“Livestock get spooked by odd things,” said Paton, a former dairy farmer. “So even these turbines turning would spook beef cattle, I’m sure of it. And then scrapping the environmental assessment, that’s just crazy.”
Paton said it’s unfair to farmers to force them to go through an environment process for things like adding retention ponds for irrigation, when gigantic wind turbines that will kill birds and spook their livestock go in nearby without consultation.
“Scrapping the environmental assessment, that’s just crazy.”
Ian Paton
Dix, though, said he is undeterred.
“I understand that people have concerns, about any development in this case,” he said.
“Though we’re talking about, in a time of climate crisis and in a time B.C. needs energy for economic development projects, that renewable energy resources are going to be part of B.C.’s economic future.
“That doesn’t mean we dismiss concerns that are raised. We listen and talk to people about those concerns. But this is critical for the future of the economy of our province.”
Paton tried raising the issue in the legislature Wednesday, but Dix dismissed his concerns. Paton said the NDP is ignoring the issue.
“Cattle will not stand under windmills, what do cattle know that this premier doesn’t?” Paton asked the legislature.
So far, the Cattlemen’s Association has not got its meeting with the minister.