What is NIMBYism and how is it affecting how much housing is getting built?

Story by Vanessa Balintec • CBC - Thursday, July 19,2023

A housing crisis is well underway in Canada, and experts say the problem is only made worse by residents who oppose new housing developments.

While the sentiment, known commonly as Not In My Backyard (NIMBY), existed long before the housing shortage became pronounced, experts say counteracting it is more important now than ever before.
Why does Nimbyism exist?

Residents passionate about their communities want to have a say in what gets built and where, said Geoff Kettel, the president of the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods, an Ontariowide coalition of resident associations.

Concerns range from a condo development casting shadows on existing properties to whether or not local hospitals, schools and other services can keep up with growth in the local population, he said. But voicing them, often through public consultations, comes with the risk of being labelled a NIMBY, which Kettel called "pejorative."

"We're regular citizens," said Kettel. "Everybody has the right to express themselves and to be part of the community."

Resident associations don't want to stop development altogether, Kettel said, adding many want to help "moderate" growth and encourage new projects to be in line with local neighbourhood character.

NIMBY sentiment is particularly directed toward affordable housing projects proposed in existing neighbourhoods, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Leslie Evans, executive director of the Federation of Calgary Communities, an umbrella organization of more than 100 community associations, says affordable housing developments often stir fears of increased crime rates and lower property values among locals, which aren't proven to be true.

And while there will always be people who are "stuck" with NIMBY views, they're a minority, she said, adding that most residents often become more open to development after learning how it benefits the community.

"Labelling them NIMBY is a good way to dismiss people that may or may not have legitimate concern," said Evans.

"Lots of that is they don't necessarily understand what it is and how to build great communities. To build great communities, we need diversity of people and housing."

How prevalent is the problem?

Jim Dunn, director of independent academic network the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative, says it's hard to quantify the number of potential housing units that could have been built but weren't because of NIMBY sentiment.

But people can look at municipal land use maps for a sense of how neighbourhoods have been allowed to develop over time, Dunn said, pointing to Toronto's "yellowbelt."

Huge swaths of the city's residential areas, shown in yellow, were historically zoned strictly for single-detached or semi-detached homes. That changed this year after city council voted to allow the development of two, three and four-unit multiplexes throughout.

"A huge part of Nimbyism was actually enshrined in zoning legislation," said Dunn, adding that local politicians are put in a "bind" having to choose between supporting outraged constituents and increasing housing supply.



Areas shaded in yellow on the City of Toronto's land use map signify land slated for residential use. These areas were historically designated for single-family, detached home development until recent months when multiplexes became permitted citywide. (City of Toronto Official Plan)© Provided by cbc.ca

Recent data shows people are feeling and seeing the effects of NIMBY legislation and sentiment.

According to a November survey commissioned by non-profit Habitat for Humanity Canada, 54 per cent of Canadians feel that NIMBY sentiment is one of the main barriers to making affordable housing available in neighbourhoods, with almost three in four agreeing that people worry about the impact of affordable housing on their property values and neighbourhood.

"It's actually a really big problem, and it's a problem in every Canadian community," said Julia Deans, the non-profit's president and CEO. Habitat for Humanity Canada helps low-income families access affordable housing.

Kevin Lee, the CEO of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, said despite existing "appetite" to build more within existing neighbourhoods, Nimbyism discourages developers from trying to build. In many cases, local opposition to housing developments can "delay and sometimes completely derail projects."

"You're going to have so much opposition that it's just ... not worth the effort," said Lee.

Who is the problem affecting?

CMHC says some Canadians don't have the means of accessing the housing market, which is particularly more common in certain groups, such as people with disabilities. The latest data from the federal government shows more than 250,000 people are on affordable housing waiting lists across the country.

Peter Waldkirch, a director of housing advocacy group Abundant Housing Vancouver, says that the people who are hurt the most and pushed out because of Nimbyism are those without "power" in society, such as low-income earners, immigrants and young people.

In contrast, he said, those with NIMBY views often have more wealth, power and resources to advocate for their wants compared to the general population and those looking to move into affordable housing developments.

But their advocacy may be helping drive the very same system emptying their neighbourhoods and businesses and keeping their children and grandchildren from becoming homeowners, he said.

"I think a lot of NIMBYs don't realize the harm they are causing."

CMHC has said at the current pace of construction, Canada is still short on housing supply. It projects almost 2.3 million housing units will be added to the market by 2030, bringing the country's total housing stock to 19 million — but that's 3.5 million units short of achieving "housing affordability for everyone living in Canada."

And when housing does get built, Waldkirch said it's further from cities and their cores and into the "least desirable parts," far from jobs and amenities, impacting the community in ways beyond housing.

"It's bad for affordability, it's bad for environment and it's bad for the economy," said Waldkirch.

How do we counteract it?

Deans says Habitat for Humanity has leveraged different methods to get communities on board with affordable housing projects.

In Calgary, the local chapter has sent personalized letters from families moving into new affordable housing buildings to local residents, she said. In Winnipeg branch conducts door-to-door canvassing, public meetings with local residents and councillors and invites neighbours to help build the very housing units incoming families will inhabit.

"That gives them an investment in that home, too," said Deans. "Sometimes communities need a reminder of what their priorities might be."



Volunteer builders with Habitat for Humanity Canada help construct community houses through the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Winnipeg in 2017.

 (Submitted by Habitat for Humanity Canada)

Dunn says the rise of pro-housing groups and the relaxing of local land zone restrictions may be a sign NIMBY sentiment is becoming less common. But to keep the momentum going, he suggests giving people less "recourse" in legislation to oppose developments and making it easier to finance and build new developments, like Toronto multiplexes.

"There will be improvement, but there's still some obstacles to overcome," said Dunn.

That's why Waldkirch says it's important for neighbours who say "yes" to development to publicly support new housing projects. This is especially the case for renters and young people, who he said have been "extremely under-represented" in municipal elections and in housing planning processes.

"Get engaged. Show up and say 'yes' to housing," said Waldkirch.

"It's easy for people to show up and say 'no' to housing, and that's how it's been for decades."

Lee says at this point in the housing shortage, more housing units of all types are needed everywhere, not just in certain places, adding that's why builders, municipalities and provinces need to commit to reducing Nimbyism and "build smartly upwards, inwards and outwards."

"It's definitely not about building a whole bunch of towers. It's not about building a whole ton of single family homes as far as the eye can see either," said Lee.

"It's finding that happy balance."

Wind power firm aims to nip nimbyism in the bud with tulip-shaped turbines

Words by
Positive News

August 16, 2021

Want to improve your business's eco-credentials, make an artistic statement and ward off nimby naysayers? Wind turbine firm Flower Turbines may be the ticket

For some, wind turbines symbolise a commitment to a greener planet; others see them as noisy, dangerous and ugly.

Now, a firm based in the Netherlands and also in the US hopes to counter nimby (not in my back yard) complaints with its tulip-shaped ‘eco-art’ design. Flower Turbines say their products pose no danger to birds or other wildlife, and create a noise that is at such a low frequency, humans can’t hear it.

They’re designed to be installed by businesses who want to improve their sustainability while making an artistic statement.

Roy Osinga (pictured, third from right), European director of Flower Turbines, said: “Our product – compared to big windmills – is silent, and good-looking, which makes it very successful for building in cities.”

Main image: Flower Turbines / Jan de Groen

The Impact Of Misinformation On Wind Energy Development

By Felicity Bradstock - Mar 27, 2023

• Misconceptions and poor public opinion have hindered the development of wind energy projects. 
• 
  
• The article gives an example of a wind energy project in New South Wales and its opposition from some of the residents. 
• 
  
• Greater public engagement, community support, and re-education are vital for meeting renewable energy targets and achieving a clean energy transition.

As green energy projects are being rolled out worldwide, and political policies are catching up to climate targets, one thing that’s lagging behind is community support. Increasing renewable energy capacity to the level that’s needed to leave fossil fuels behind requires the backing of the public and a movement away from the not in my backyard point of view. In addition to the unwillingness to embrace renewables when it’s close to home, a flurry of misinformation has hindered many projects in recent years, demonstrating the need to re-educate and encourage greater support for green in practice as well as theory. 

In New South Wales, Australia, there are plans to cluster major wind and solar projects across five Renewable Energy Zones (Rez), established by the NSW government, to enhance storage and transmission potential. The town of Welcha sits in the New England Rez, which has major wind potential. But poor public opinion continues to stand in the way of the development of major new renewables projects in the region, as the government and private firms push to boost the region’s clean energy capacity to support a green transition. 

Danish renewable energy major Vestas is the biggest stakeholder in the planned Winterbourne windfarm, which was initially announced in 2004 with construction expected to finally begin in 2024. It is expected to have a capacity of 700 MW when complete, with an investment of over $1 billion. To achieve this level of wind power, the farm will have up to 119 turbines with a maximum height of 230 metres. Related: German Grid Operators Unveil €128 Billion Plan For Green Energy Shift

Despite the project offering huge potential for a movement away from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives in the region, many locals are not so keen on the development. Some residents worry about the appearance of the turbines, while others are concerned about their impact on tourism and the threat to biodiversity in the area. To counter these concerns, project developers are providing a $1 million community development fund for the town’s 3,000 residents. A further $750,000 will be made available annually once the project is up and running, as well as an additional $1,000 for every megawatt generated over 600 MW. Vestas also anticipates the creation of up to 400 jobs in the building phase and 16 long-term maintenance jobs, bringing vital employment opportunities to the region. 

But Welcha isn’t the only place where residents are concerned about new wind projects. This is a sentiment that’s being felt down the whole of the Australian east coast, following the launch of several green energy projects. And outside of Australia, it’s a concern that has been heard across Europe and North America for decades. The not in my backyard (nimby) point of view has been repeated time and time again, first with the explosion of fossil fuel projects and now in the development of renewable energy capacity across the rural landscape. 

When it comes to wind turbines, the level of misinformation that has spread in recent years is significant. And while some of the tales may have been true in the technology’s nascent phase, recent innovations have improved the turbines immensely, leaving less cause for concern. Some of the worries, that have been disseminated via social media, include the noise pollution caused by the turbines, as well as completely false discourses such as the negative health effects of low-frequency infrasound, as well as suggestions that wind energy does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and photos of wind turbines breaking, burning, and falling. This has led residents near proposed wind farms worldwide to lobby against the developments. As state governments and local councils contend with the concerns of the local communities, trying to dispel the misinformation, many wind projects are being delayed or cancelled altogether. 

In the Netherlands, proposed wind farms in an estimated one-fifth of Dutch municipalities have been negatively affected due to a lack of local support, with dozens being cancelled or delayed. Meanwhile, the percentage of Swedes in favour of greater investment in wind energy fell from 74 percent in 2009 to 65 percent in 2019. And in Germany, several wind project operators are battling against protestors in court for their developments to go ahead. 

To change the negative opinion of wind farms, many local councils and project developers are now engaging in discussions with communities and calling for active citizen participation. This can help to address some of the concerns, dispel misinformation, and communicate the benefits of the project. In addition, greater information from the government about how new renewable projects could help to lower energy prices and boost energy security could bolster public approval. But the failure to rapidly address public concerns and offer comprehensive education on wind energy and other renewables projects could lead to the further spread of misinformation and the persistence of the nimby viewpoint.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

NIMBY, ITS ABOUT VIEW & PROPERTY VALUES

Maine Bars Wind Projects Encouraging Floating Farms Further Offshore

Maine recently demonstrated a prototype for its offshore wind farms (New England Aqua Ventus)

PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2021 7:41 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Marine has taken the unusual step of prohibiting the installation of offshore wind projects from the state’s waters. Following through on a previous promise to protect the state’s waters, Governor Janet Mills signed into law the bill last week, which however leaves open the possibility of wind farms further offshore, and according to the governor positions Maine as the first state to encourage floating offshore wind farms.

“This legislation cements in law our belief that these efforts should occur in Federal waters farther off our coast through a research array that can help us establish the best way for Maine to embrace the vast economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I applaud the Legislature’s strong bipartisan support of this bill, which I believe demonstrates that offshore wind and Maine’s fishing industry can not only coexist but can help us build a stronger economy with more good-paying jobs and a brighter, more sustainable future for Maine people.”

The bill won support in the Maine Legislature based on the arguments that the local waters needed to be preserved for recreation and the commercial fishing industry. They highlighted that 75 percent of Maine’s commercial lobster harvesting occurs in the waters that will be protected under the legislation. The final bill was a compromise that sought to meet the concerns of the fishing industry, wildlife, and environmental organizations and concerns about the environmental impact and appearance of the wind turbines close to shore while preserving a path for Maine to participate in the emerging industry.

The governor was challenged to walk a tightrope to support the bad while also encouraging the development of offshore wind to help the state’s energy and economic policies. The Gulf of Maine is home to some of the highest sustained wind speeds in the world. This makes power generation from offshore wind a key opportunity for Maine both to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the more than $4 billion Maine residents are estimated to spend each year on fossil fuels to heat their homes.

Governor Mills highlights that last month Maine passed another bill that advances the creation of the nation’s first research area for floating offshore wind in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine. The University of Maine is leading research into floating offshore wind technology. Mills is proposing a smaller-scale research array, which will contain up to 12 turbines, that plans to use innovative floating platform technology developed by the University of Maine and a public-private partnership with New England Aqua Ventus, a joint venture of two leading global offshore wind companies, Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables.

Research from the array they said will inform the development of floating offshore wind in the United States and leverage Maine’s ability to take advantage of its home-grown energy resources in the Gulf of Maine. Maine enacted legislation authorizing the Maine Public Utilities Commission to negotiate a contract with a transmission and distribution utility to purchase up to 144 megawatts of energy from the proposed floating offshore wind research array in the Gulf of Maine.

The Governor’s Energy Office is also promising to move forward with a strategic plan for Maine’s offshore wind industry and the country’s first research area for floating offshore wind, located in the Gulf of Maine. The office is identifying a preferred site for the research array, in advance of submitting a formal application for the area to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) later this summer. The GEO is also developing an Offshore Wind Roadmap for Maine, a strategic plan for developing an offshore wind industry in the state, which they are promising to complete by the end of 2022.

NIMBY
Build begins on Wyoming-to-California power line amid growing wind power concern



RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) — Portrait photographer Anne Brande shoots graduation and wedding engagement photos at scenic spots throughout southeastern Wyoming's granite mountains and sprawling sagebrush valleys, but worries what those views will look like in a few years. Wind energy is booming here.

“Dandelions in my yard, you know, when there's four or five, it's OK,” Brande said. “When my whole yard is dandelions, I'm just not too excited.”

In a state where being able to hunt, fish and camp in gorgeous and untrammeled nature is a way of life, worries about spoiled views, killed eagles and disturbed big-game animals such as elk and mule deer have grown with the spread of wind turbines.

On Tuesday, state and federal officials will break ground on TransWest Express, a transmission line that will move electricity from the $5 billion, 3,000-megawatt, 600-turbine Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm to southern California, a place legally mandated to switch to clean energy. The wind farm will be the country's biggest yet.

Federal regulators gave the go-ahead to TransWest in April. The International Energy Agency and other experts say wind power is crucial to attaining a carbon-neutral world by 2050. Developers here estimate they'll prevent between 7 and 11 million tons of carbon dioxide a year and provide enough carbon-free electricity to power 1 million homes.

But in Wyoming, despite extensive wildlife studies and lengthy federal environmental reviews, there's more skepticism about wind power than when the projects were first proposed 17 years ago.

“I think it’s just as simple as too much of a good thing,” Brande said.

As elsewhere, opposition to wind farms in Wyoming correlates with proximity to homes and cabins: Chokecherry and Sierra Madre is massive but isolated, and has generated less opposition than some others. But Brande and rural property owners opposed a 500-megawatt, 120-turbine wind farm soon to be built near the Colorado state line. They lost, but the matter reached the Wyoming Supreme Court.

The contentious county approval process included a five-hour public hearing in a packed courtroom in Laramie in 2021. Residents expressed a range of concerns, from turbine blades killing birds to construction blasting damaging home foundations.

In neighboring Carbon County, the county commission on June 6 held off permitting for a 280-megawatt, 79-turbine project called Two Rivers, after hearing from people with concerns. Commissioners told the developers to get federal approval first.

The local opposition to a wind farm is a recent development in an area that previously welcomed the economic benefits with few questions, Carbon County Commission Vice Chairman Sue Jones said. Named for its coal reserves that once fueled steam engines, Carbon County adopted an official seal in 2021 that features a wind turbine.

Yet county officials recently required wind farms to turn off their red warning lights except when aircraft approach, responding to public complaints.

The regulation wasn't retroactive. But PacifiCorp, which serves customers in Wyoming, Utah and the Pacific Northwest, retrofitted its wind turbines in the area with the on-and-off pilot warning system anyway, Jones said.


“The companies do try to be good neighbors," Jones said. "But it is starting to show and it is reaching a point where maybe it’s too much. It’s affecting wildlife habitat. It’s affecting the birds and the bats.”

In just four years, wind generation capacity in Wyoming has doubled, adding about 600 turbines — the bulk of them in the southeast — since 2020, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Chokecherry and Sierra Madre alone will double that amount again — and at least five more wind farms are planned, according to a 2022 University of Wyoming report.

If they all stay on schedule, Wyoming could soon vault from 14th to among the top five states for wind energy, though wind energy is booming elsewhere, too.

Almost 60% of electricity generated in Wyoming, wind power included, isn't used here but goes to other states, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Increasingly the state's wind energy is coveted by utilities in California, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest.

TransWest Express will move the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre electricity 732 miles (1,178 kilometers) from south-central Wyoming to just outside Las Vegas. Along the way, it will cross northwestern Colorado and Utah, with conversion from direct to alternating current in central Utah.

The wind farm and transmission lines, both projects of The Anschutz Corporation owned by Denver oil and gas billionaire Phil Anschutz, are scheduled to come online around the same time, starting in late 2027.

The transmission line's direct-current section allows efficient, long-distance electricity transfer with no tie-ins to other power lines, while the alternating current segment is less efficient but connects to the rest of the grid.

Wyoming wind averages almost 13 mph (21 kph) day and night, year-round, matching well with daytime solar generated elsewhere. But so far there aren't a lot of ways to get wind power from Wyoming onto the western U.S. power grid, said Roxane Perruso, TransWest Express executive vice president and chief operating officer.

“So we’re going to enhance the ability to move renewables and other power, carbon-free power in the future, around the grid," Perruso said.

Paralleling TransWest Express in places, Pacificorp's Gateway South transmission lines connecting Wyoming wind farms to southern Utah are scheduled for completion next year. Pacificorp's Gateway West lines, already partly built across southern Wyoming, will stretch all the way to the Pacific Northwest sometime after 2030.

While wind power benefits the climate, environmentalists are split over its costs to wildlife. In Wyoming, wind farms pose a risk to golden eagles and sage grouse, a chicken-sized, ground-dwelling bird that tends to avoid high structures that can provide perching spots for predatory birds, said Erik Molvar, of Laramie, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project.

"The real answer is to incentivize the siting of solar panels in urban areas where the electricity’s actually going to get used," Molvar said.

Power Company of Wyoming, the Aschutz subsidiary building Chokecherry and Sierra Madre, spent years working with federal regulators on ways to minimize harm to sage grouse and golden eagles, such as tweaking turbine locations to reduce bird collisions. But eagle deaths at wind farms are a common problem, one that often goes unprosecuted.

Wyoming's position as the country's top coal-producer and a major source of oil and gas, meanwhile, has meant an uneasy relationship with wind at times. Wyoming is the only state that taxes wind energy, a $1 per megawatt-hour charge lawmakers have discussed raising to $4 or more.

And local resistance could grow. People often don’t appreciate what a wind farm with its turbines, lights, roads, power lines and substations will look like, said Jones, the Carbon County commissioner.

“You really have no idea what that’s like until it’s there. And then you go, wow. It’s an industrial area. A different kind of industry, but an industrial area,” Jones said.

Mead Gruver, The Associated Press

NIMBY

Eastern WA GOP lawmaker proposes law to limit ‘eyesore’ of blinking red wind turbine lights

Annette Cary
Mon, January 16, 2023 

Wind turbines would no longer be allowed have continuously blinking red lights at night under a bill proposed by new Washington state Rep. April Connors, R-Kennewick.

Several states already require Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems for wind turbines that only turn lights on to alert low-flying airplanes as they draw near and then shut off when they have passed.

The legislation, if approved, would apply to the Horse Heaven wind farm proposed for just south of the Tri-Cities along the Horse Heaven ridge line, which is the immediate concern of some of those who support the bill.

But existing wind farms in the state also would be required to install aircraft detection systems meeting Federal Aviation Administration standards by 2026.

Pilots flying at low altitudes at night rely on the blinking lights on wind turbines for safety, “but for many, many others they are a disturbing eyesore and an invasive nuisance,” said Paul Krupin, a Kennewick scientist and attorney, at a hearing on House Bill 1173 on Monday before the Washington state House Environment and Energy Committee.

The lights do not need to be on all the time, he said.

FAA approves light detection

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved systems that detect aircraft radar to turn on only when planes are flying low in the vicinity.

James Conca, a Richland scientist, said at the hearing that the lights are needed only 2% to 3% of the time.

This view from above South Clodfelter Road looks northeast from a proposed Horse Heaven wind turbine site to houses in the Tripple Vista, Summit View, Badger Mountain South and Rancho Reata developments.

The blinking red lights of the Horse Heaven Clean Energy project would be visible at night up to 20 to 30 miles away, Krupin said.

Plans call for 244 turbines about 500 feet tall or 150 turbines with blades extending about 670 feet high, which is taller than the Seattle Space Needle.

More than 100,000 people would live within six miles of the turbines, the majority of them in city limits, by one analysis done by Krupin and Tri-Cities Community Action for Responsible Environmental Stewardship.

Most wind farms are not built in areas close to so may homes, Conca said.

Elsewhere in the state only 20,000 people live within six miles of a wind turbine, according to Krupin.

Connors said the first time she saw the blinking lights of existing wind turbines in the dark sky along Highway 12 between the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, she was startled enough to reach over to her husband.

Scout Clean Energy plans a wind farm on Benton County farm land south of the Tri-Cities along the Horse Heaven Hills ridgeline south of Badger Road.

One Tri-Cities residents told her that the blinking lights are hypnotic and distracting to drivers, she said.

“In Eastern Washington, while we do not have a lot of say ... where things are basically sited in our region, it is important to us to protect and maintain the beauty of our landscape,” Connors said.

The Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council is evaluating the proposal for the Horse Heaven project, with Gov. Jay Inslee making the final decision on it.
Wind turbines too costly?

The Association of Washington Business is concerned that costs for adding aircraft detection lighting systems, particularly on existing wind turbines, would be passed on as higher rates to electricity users, said Peter Godlewski, the group’s director of government affairs for energy, environment and water.

Krupin said the cost of the intermittent lighting systems is not prohibitive and would reduce public opposition to nearby wind turbines. It also could diminish the perceived risks of harm to property values and tourism, he said.

Under one proposed configuration of the Horse Heaven Hills Wind Farm south of the Tri-Cities, more than 200 turbines could be seen from areas shown in the darkest purple.

Tri-Cities business leaders have been concerned that the colorful sunsets enjoyed by tourists at wineries from the Tri-Cities to Benton City would be marred by wind turbines along the Horse Heaven ridge line.

Conca estimated that the lighting systems would cost 0.1% of the total cost of the Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center.

“These folks are making tons of money on these projects, most of which goes out of state,” Conca said. “So they can certainly do something for the people of this state who are bearing the burden and getting almost none of the benefit.”

The fiscal analysis for the bill estimated a Washington state government cost of $846,000 as rules are developed for aircraft detection lighting systems by the Department of Ecology, in cooperation with the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council and the state Department of Transportation.

Germany began requiring aircraft detection lighting systems for every turbine in the country this year, Connors said.

States that already require the systems include North and South Dakota, Vermont and New Hampshire, with Colorado, Minnesota and Kansas considering the requirement, according to supporters of the bill.

Live in Tri-Cities? Here’s how many wind turbines you might soon see from your house

Annette Cary
Mon, January 16, 2023 at 12:36 PM MST·6 min read

“Too many turbines, too close to people” say three Kennewick area residents who crunched the numbers for the proposed Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center.

Scout Clean Energy proposes two scenarios along the Horse Heaven Hills just south of Kennewick from Finley to Benton City:

Up to 244 turbines up to 500 feet tall

Up to 150 turbines up to 670 feet high

“Benton County people are impacted disproportionately to every other county in the state, in the Northwest and even several states beyond,” by wind turbine projects, said Paul Krupin of Kennewick a scientist and attorney who worked on environmental issues for the federal government for three decades.


He and Tri-Cities CARES members Dave Sharp of Kennewick, a retired manager of Wyoming wind farms, and Pam Minelli, a Tri-Cities area homeowner, have been poring over the Horse Heaven project’s draft environmental impact statement to better understand the proposed project and submit public comments on it by the end of the month.

The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council will decide whether to recommend the project to Gov. Jay Inslee, who will make the final decision.

The nonprofit Tri-Cities CARES, or Community Action for Responsible Environmental Stewardship, was formed to help protect the Horse Heaven Hills habitat and the natural landscape of the Tri-Cities area.

This view from above South Clodfelter Road looks northeast from a proposed Horse Heaven wind turbine site to houses in the Tripple Vista, Summit View, Badger Mountain South and Rancho Reata developments.

The three found the draft study lacking, including a failure to analyze the proposed wind project’s impact on the people who would live near it, they said.

They say an analysis shows that the turbines will be visible, including their blinking red lights at night, from many areas of Kennewick, Richland and Pasco.

For instance, more than 100 turbines will be visible from downtown Richland, they say.

The view for residents of the Tripple Vista neighborhood between Badger and Clodfelter roads would include 137 to 199 wind turbines during the day and the blinking lights of 148 to 107 turbines at night, according to data the group pulled from the environmental impact statements’ visual impact assessment.

The blinking lights are set at the top of the turbine hub, with the blades stretching higher into the sky to be seen during the day.

In Franklin County, along the Columbia riverfront the turbines will be visible from the Interstate 82 bridge downriver almost as far as the blue bridge, according to the group’s analysis. Even more would be seen at higher elevations in Pasco, although they would be distant.

The boundary of the proposed Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center south of the Tri-Cities is shown. Solar arrays could be in the yellow areas of the map.

At the top of Webber Canyon, the turbines “will stretch from one horizon to the other,” Krupin said.

The main I-82 entrance to Kennewick would be flanked by towering turbines, he said.
Tri-Cities turbines vs. Washington

“You cannot imagine how big this project is until you get down on the ground and see it,” Krupin said. “It is huge.”

The project will cover 110 square miles, with 105 miles of roads crossing arroyos and other non-agriculture land, Sharp said.

Between the Horse Heaven wind farm and the nearby and smaller Nine Canyon wind farm, just over 100,000 residents of Benton County will live within six miles of a turbine, according to the group’s computer analysis that relies on U.S. Census tract data.

That’s five times more than the estimated 20,000 people who live within six miles of a wind farm across the rest of Washington state, the said.

Other Washington state counties with wind farms average about 2,000 people living within six miles, according to the group.

“You just don’t develop them in a metropolitan area. They are out in a rural area,” Sharp said.

And the number of people living near the turbines, should the project go forward as proposed, would increase in time, they said.

This panoramic view looks northeast off Badger Canyon Road shows Badger Mountain, Benton City and towards West Richland through the saddle of Badger and Candy Mountains, at right..

The Nine Canyon project started with about 17,500 residents within six miles in 2000, but due to project expansions and population growth now has about 59,000 people within six miles, they said.

The group picked six miles to analyze as the distance before wind turbines are far enough away to blend into the landscape.

Minelli says her home between I-82 and East Badger Road now has a 180-degree view of countryside, with hawks soaring outside her deck.

“We live there because we like the tranquility of the rural views, the rural sounds,” she said.

But now she and thousands of others face the industrialization of their rural views, she said.

“These projects need to be put in a rural area that doesn’t change the lifestyle and the ability of us to enjoy our homes,” she said.
Fewer wind turbines possible?

Krupin, Sharp and Minelli are calling for Scout Clean Energy to reduce the number of turbines it expects to be most visible to people living in Benton County, which include those in the Horse Heaven Hills wildlife corridor.

Washington state Fish and Wildlife Department has recommended that wind infrastructure be no closer than a half mile from a wildlife corridor, according to the group.

Although the group found the draft environmental impact statement short on specifics, they think that the number of proposed turbines could be reduced and Scout could still meet its generation goals.

They have been sharing their analysis with local government and other community leaders, but Scout Clean Energy has not seen it.

Dave Kobus, senior project manager for the Horse Heaven project, said the process of determining project viability is complicated and requires access to proprietary data, complicated financial modeling and confidential manufacturer data not publicly available.

This view shows the Dennis Road possible wind turbine tower location east of Weber Canyon looking northwest towards Benton City.

He said that the Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, has “run a rigorous, independent analysis spanning nearly two years and is suggesting mitigation measure that go well beyond established precedent in several areas.”

Among mitigation measures suggested in the draft environmental impact statement are requiring turbines to be more than a half mile from residents whose land is not part of the project and steps to prevent or minimize the flickering shadows that could be cast on homes by rotating blades.

Measures also are suggested to help protect wildlife.

“We are fully committed to working through the adjudication process and closely reviewing the draft EFSEC document as well as any public comments provided to EFSEC to assure mitigation is appropriate,” Kobus said.

“The commercial aspects of the technology selection and placement will continue to be reviewed as we progress through the EFSEC process deliberation,” he said.

The proposed project includes solar panels and battery storage in addition to wind turbines.

Planned B.C. gold mine near Quesnel passes environmental assessment

VICTORIA — Plans for a gold mine near Wells, in B.C.'s Cariboo region, took a significant step forward with the granting of an environmental assessment certificate.

Canadian Press

B.C. Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman speaks during an announcement at Burns Bog, in Delta, B.C., on Monday, June 29, 2020. Plans for a gold mine east of Quesnel in British Columbia's Interior took a significant step forward with the granting of an environmental assessment certificate. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck


VICTORIA — Plans for a gold mine near Wells, in B.C.'s Cariboo region, took a significant step forward with the granting of an environmental assessment certificate.

Environment Minister George Heyman and Mines Minister Josie Osborne said in a statement Tuesday that it has given approval for Osisko Development Corp. to build and operate the underground Cariboo Gold mine, east of Quesnel, provided the project receives all its required permits.

The certificate comes with 22 conditions, including establishing a new drinking water supply for Wells, minimizing impacts to the Barkerville woodland caribou herd, noise requirements and hiring 75 per cent of workers from the region, if possible.

When completed, the mine is expected to produce about 25 million tonnes of ore over 16 years and employ 500 workers during its operation and up to 300 during construction.

The mine is the first to be assessed from start to finish under the province's 2018 Environmental Assessment Act which created a new process that includes more participation from First Nations

In a document laying out their reasons for making the decision, the ministers say Lhtako Dene Nation and Williams Lake First Nation provided notices of consent, and Xatśull First Nation said they do not oppose the project but consider consent an "ongoing process."

The ministers say the benefits of the project outweigh the costs, and it is in the public interest.

Granting of the certificate comes after a nearly three-year review led by the provincial Environmental Assessment Office.

The ministers say the conditions on the certificate give them the "confidence to conclude that Cariboo Gold will be carried out such that no significant adverse effects are likely to occur."

The government says construction costs are expected to contribute an estimated at $588 million to the economy over four years, and the operations another $466 million.

A 200-person work camp will be built at the project site, which is about the current size of the community of Wells.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.

Provincial decision looms for Cariboo Gold Mine at edge of Wells, B.C.

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Residents divided over plans for large mine building at edge of their 220-resident community

David P. Ball · CBC News · Posted: Oct 09, 2023 

A sign from Osisko Development's Barkerville Gold Mines is seen in Wells, B.C., on Oct. 7, 2023. The 220-resident district municipality, roughly 100 km southeast of Prince George, is divided over the company's proposed Cariboo Gold Mine. (Kate Partridge/CBC)

The tiny community of Wells, B.C., will soon learn if it will be home to a new gold mine — one that's divided the historic gold-rush district of just 220 residents.

After it passed its environmental review last month, the proposed $588-million Cariboo Gold Mine is awaiting a final decision from provincial cabinet ministers, who have until Wednesday to say yes or no.

Particularly divisive has been Osisko Development's plan to build a 36-metre-high, 200-metre-long mining building at the southern entrance of the community, within municipal limits.

"There have been a few friends lost," said Gabe Fourchalk, Wells' former mayor and an equipment contractor for the mining firm. "With change, there comes a little bit of fear … some people are worried.

"In a small town, everybody is so, so close-knit."

A wooden sign and mine shaft welcome visitors to the historic gold mining community of Wells, B.C. (Kate Partridge/CBC)

Located roughly 100 kilometres southeast of Prince George, the community is best known for Barkerville Historic Town and Park, a gold mining museum and National Historic Site.

It's a major local employer at which many residents have worked as re-enactment actors, guides, or vendors.

Fourchalk and his father served as its Gold Rush-era blacksmiths for years. He resigned as mayor in 2021, citing mine-related divisions.

• A proposed new gold mine in historic Wells, B.C., is creating concerns it could damage local tourism

"You're always gonna have some ups and some downs, but overall this is a fantastic project," he told CBC News. "It's kind of fundamental that we have a little bit of the arts, culture, tourism and industry. 

"It all brings in the money that people need in a small town to survive."

A truck parks outside the office of Osisko Development in Wells, B.C., on Oct. 7,2023. The firm wants to build a new gold mine at the edge of the community of 220 residents. (Kate Partridge/CBC)

Another longtime Barkerville museum employee, Dirk Van Stralen, owns the local Sunset Theatre and is an elected councillor in Wells. 

He said he only opposes the mine's location at the community's edge.

"The majority of the town are in favour of the mine," he told CBC News. "Just not the design of this particular proposal … the equivalent of four Costcos stacked inside the town site itself.

"It would turn our town into, effectively, an industrial site. Please revisit this design — move it 400 metres south."

Plans for above-ground structures at the proposed Cariboo Gold Mine are overlaid on a photograph of the area around the district of Wells, B.C., with a population of nearly 220. (Submitted by Barkerville Gold Mine)

'Past and future that's all laced with gold'

Osisko Development said it is has consulted extensively with the community, and will bring local investments and more than 450 jobs over the mine's 16-year lifespan, according to revised plans filed last year.

The underground mine would run 24 hours a day, all year, processing roughly 4,000 tonnes of ore a day, the company's filings state — from which it hopes to extract at least two million ounces of gold.

"We have strived, since its early conception, to do mining better and change the legacy left in Wells by past mining activities," the company wrote in a B.C. Environmental Assessment Office document. "Since 2016, we have engaged with our Indigenous partners and the local communities.

"Those exchanges help shape our project."

• A $1.1M project is just the first step in protecting a B.C. historic site from wildfire

In a statement sent to CBC News on Saturday, the company said it already shortened the building's height by one-third, based on public concerns, and ended plans for a mine portal and water treatment plant beside Wells.

But company spokesperson Philip Rabenok said alternative locations have "no basis from a technical or environmental sustainability perspective." The current site is already disturbed by mining, he said, whereas the alternatives are on endangered species habitat and would require trucks to haul ore through Wells.

Resident CJ Johnston, who used to serve as the district's tourism and development officer, now works as a Barkerville Gold Mines contractor as driver, first aid attendant and cashier.

She said a "loud" minority oppose the mine under what she called a pretext of wanting to relocate its building.

"There's no chance of changing the location of the service building," she said, adding the building is so large because it is meant to address local concerns about noise, light and dust from a mine so close to residences.

"The horse has already left — why are you bothering to close the barn door?

"Do I want to have a great big, honking building in front of Wells? Probably not. But I want to be a part of … what that service building looks like."

Daybreak North10:12Wells gold mine may not have the Midas touch

Proposed mine has some Wells residents digging in

She said it's ironic mine opponents only live in Wells because of its gold-related tourism industry.

"Not one drop of tourism in Wells would be there without gold," she said. "An operating mine … could connect between our past and future that's all laced with gold."

Van Stralen said many in the community are wary of a mining industry that, in the past, has left little but economic loss — and toxic pollution — after past mines closed.

"We understand the privilege of living where we do is a result of gold mining," he said. "But mining itself has not lasted as long as the tourism economy that has sprung up in its absence."

A satellite map shows plans for above-ground structures proposed for the Cariboo Gold Mine at the edge of Wells, B.C., a district of 220 residents. (Submitted by Barkerville Gold Mines)

'Not in my front yard'

He takes issue with the accusation that residents opposed to the proposal are just saying "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) because they're afraid of change.

"It's actually 'NIMFYism,'" he said. "Which is 'not in my front yard.' Because that's actually what's being proposed." 

B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office said in a statement Cariboo Gold Mine is the first project to go through the province's newly revamped review process for such operations. 

It issued requirements for Osisko to mitigate its impacts, after hearing from First Nations, a local Community Advisory Council, as well as concerns from Northern Health Authority over air quality impacts.

"I'm glad it's in the hands of the government now to make their decision," Fourchalk said. "It's out of everybody else's hands.

"I'm sure they're going to make the right choice."

In a winter 2020 photograph, ore-carrying trucks from Barkerville Gold Mines drive by businesses in the district of Wells, B.C., which has a population of 220 people. (Submitted by Dave Jorgenson)

Corrections

• An earlier version of this article cited Osisko Development’s 2019 application, which stated the mine would cost $330 million, operate for 11 years and provide more than 300 jobs. In October 2022, the company revised those plans, estimating it would cost $588 million, operate for 16 years and provide 459 jobs during operation.
  Oct 09, 2023 1:14 PM PT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David P. Ball

Journalist

David P. Ball is a multimedia journalist with CBC News in Vancouver. He has previously reported for the Toronto Star, Agence France-Presse, The Globe & Mail, and The Tyee, and has won awards from the Canadian Association of Journalists and Jack Webster Foundation. Send story tips or ideas to david.ball@cbc.ca, or contact him via social media (@davidpball).