Moose group calls for urgency on N.S. wind farm environmental assessment audit

The president of a moose conservation group is applauding Nova Scotia’s auditor general for looking into wind farm environmental assessments (EA), urging the audit to be done as soon as possible.

In an email to our newsroom, the Office of the Auditor General of Nova Scotia says the audit was announced last fall.

It will look into whether the Department of Environment and Climate Change is “appropriately conducting” EA’s for onshore wind energy projects, in addition to making sure they comply with terms and conditions.

According to Environment Minister Tim Halman, there have been 17 environmental assessments for wind farms approved.

In an interview with Acadia News, Al Muire with the Moose Conservation Association of Nova Scotia says there must be some part of the province that’s not suitable for these kinds of developments.

With five or six audits lined up, he has written to Kim Adair encouraging her to examine the Eigg Mountain Wind Farm quicker, with concern over mainland moose.

“Eigg Mountain is so particularly sensitive,” explains Muir. “Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough Counties are the second largest concentration of mainland moose in the province.”

“It is such a blatant case of the environment protection system not operating properly,” says Muir in a statement.

The EA for Eigg Mountain was approved in April. The farm is slated to go near Connors Mountain Road with 22 turbines to produce up to 150 MW of power.

Muir says he has never seen a worse location for a project like Eigg Mountain but there’s never been a wind farm project rejected, regardless of location or environmental importance in the local area.

“Quite simply, it should have been obvious that the project area is unsuitable for such a development,” says Muir. “But that decision has been outweighed by climate and economic concerns.”

According to the province, Eigg Mountain will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 271,000 tonnes.

When the EA for Eigg Mountain was approved, Muir says, they planned to take legal action against the province but according to his lawyer it was too costly and their odds of winning were not good.

Now, he hopes the auditor general will recommend the province take a second look at Eigg Mountain.

“Ideally, that would be the case,” says Muir. “That was why we asked her to concentrate specifically on that.”

“It’s making sure decisions are made more carefully.”