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Public Feedback Report Open House – February 29Th, 2012 Open House – March 7Th, 2012 Questionnaire Results

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Public Feedback Report Open House – February 29Th, 2012 Open House – March 7Th, 2012 Questionnaire Results P12-01 Large-scale Wind Turbine Regulations Review Public Feedback Report Open House – February 29th, 2012 Open House – March 7th, 2012 Questionnaire Results INTRODUCTION In early 2012, Council committed to reviewing its regulations for large-scale wind turbines. As part of this process, the Municipality hosted two public Open Houses and advertised a questionnaire to hear from members of the public about their priorities, desires, and concerns in regard to large-scale wind turbines. These initiatives were advertised on the local radio; through a flyer sent to all households in the Municipality of Kings; on the Municipality’s website; and in the Kings County Register, Kings County Advertiser, and Greenwood Aurora newspapers. A project webpage and mailing list were established to provide updates to interested parties. Open Houses were held February 29th and March 7th from 11am to 8pm in White Rock and South Berwick, respectively. These Open Houses included posters, handouts, and snacks. Approximately 250 people attended the White Rock Open House, and approximately 50 people attended the Open House in South Berwick. The questionnaire was made available online, and in paper form at the Open Houses and in the Municipal offices. The Municipality received 477 responses to the questionnaire. Written submissions were also welcomed. Readers should note that the public engagement process was not conducted as a scientific poll. Therefore, the results of the process do not necessarily provide an accurate reflection of opinions in Kings County as a whole. However, the public engagement process has resulted in numerous thoughtful comments and highlighted a number of issues to investigate as this process continues. Readers of this document are highly encouraged to take the time to read through all of the comments that are captured here. P12-01 Large-scale Wind Turbine Regulations Review Public Feedback Report 1 SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS The following section summarizes the results of the questionnaire by discussing common themes and the amount of variability observed. Of course, with 477 responses to the questionnaire, it is impossible to summarize all responses. Readers, therefore, are also highly encouraged to read the detailed results and public comments contained in Appendix A. 1. Area of Residence Questionnaire respondents were asked to self-report the community they live in. Questionnaire responses were received from all electoral districts, all three towns, and areas outside of the County. However, the large majority of respondents indicated that they live in the south-eastern portion of Kings County. When compared to the 2011 Census data it is clear that this distribution is not accurately representative of the County population. This, however, is not surprising because proposed large-scale wind turbine projects are located in this area. 2. Respondent Age Questionnaire respondents were asked to self-report their age. It is clear from the results of this question that the sample of Kings County residents who completed the survey is weighted to the older generations. When compared to the 2006 Statistics Canada data for Kings County, the data shows an over-representation in ages over 30, and an especially strong over- representation in ages 60+. This analysis confirms that questionnaire results should not be interpreted as a representative sample of the whole population of Kings County. 3. Advertising The Municipality made significant efforts to advertise the public engagement aspect of this review. Respondents were asked to report how they heard about the questionnaire. The flyer, radio ads, newspaper ads, and stories in the local newspapers all played an important role in advertising. However, word-of-mouth was the single largest contributor to awareness about the questionnaire. “Other” drivers of awareness included social media, copies of the flyers posted in local businesses, email, meetings, and posters distributed by local community groups. 4. Concerns The questionnaire asked respondents to rate, on a scale of “no concern” to “extremely concerned”, their level of concern in regard to noise, appearance, safety, shadow flicker, and wildlife impacts. Respondents were also given an opportunity to fill in “other” concerns. P12-01 Large-scale Wind Turbine Regulations Review Public Feedback Report 2 For all potential concerns the results were generally polarized, with responses rarely falling within the middle of the spectrum. The general sentiment about the potential impacts of noise and wildlife impacts can be described as “extremely concerned”. For safety and shadow flicker the sentiment was again “extremely concerned”, but this was somewhat balanced out by a higher number of responses in the “no concern” category. Appearance showed an almost even split between those with extreme concerns and those with no concerns. In the “other” category frequently listed concerns were primarily health and property values. Sub-concerns within health included infrasound, sonic vibrations, EMF’s (electromagnetic fields), ice throw, and stray voltages. Other concerns that were mentioned include impacts on livestock, cost/economics of turbines, decommissioning, impacts on Waterville Airport operations, interference with satellite and radio signals, fire and lightning strikes, and impacts from the installation process. Some respondents indicated that they had no concerns, that turbines “look cool”, and that turbines are important to our future. 5. Potential Benefits The questionnaire asked respondents to rate the importance of potential benefits from wind turbines on a scale of “not important” to “extremely important”. Respondents were also given an opportunity to fill in “other” benefits. In contrast to potential concerns, responses to this question were much more evenly distributed. Respondents generally believed that the potential for reduced reliance on fossil fuels was extremely important. The economic benefit of turbines for land owners was generally seen as not important. Taxes from turbines, a diversified local economy, and a “green” image for Kings County generally elicited a more evenly distributed response, with a slight weighting to the “not important” end of the scale. Reponses to the “other” section generally focused on the opportunity for community investment and ownership through COMFIT, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, local economic investment and construction jobs, creation of a stable energy future, and the provision of a forward-thinking and renewable future for later generations of residents. Other common responses to this section were non-belief in any benefits of wind turbines, encouragement to investigate other sources of renewable energy, and point-by-point criticisms or refutations of the potential benefits listed in the question. 6. Development Opportunities Versus Risk This question asked respondents to consider and select a statement regarding the balance between the potential for wind turbine development versus an acceptable level of risk. Respondents who did not agree with any of the three statements were given an opportunity to write their own statement. Of the 357 respondents who selected a statement almost two thirds of them believe that the Municipality should take a conservative approach to wind P12-01 Large-scale Wind Turbine Regulations Review Public Feedback Report 3 turbines that “mitigates not only proven risks, but those risks which may be compelling, if not necessarily proven.” Taking a moderate approach to wind turbines was the next most popular option. Common responses from respondents who wrote their own statement included those which said the Municipality should not allow turbines at all, that turbines should be placed far away from people, or specific suggestions for separation distances (anywhere from 1km to 10km). Other responses suggested a community-based approach, case-by-case evaluations of projects, regulations scaling with turbine size, that the Municipality should look to other jurisdictions for information, and that the Municipality should consider other technologies (solar, vertical-axis turbines). A number of respondents questioned the assumption, present in the question, that there are risks to building and operating turbines, or that higher levels of development opportunity bring higher levels of risk. 7. Appropriate Areas This question asked which areas, from a cultural and landscape point-of-view, respondents believed were appropriate for turbines in Kings County. The aggregate of responses showed that the Valley Floor was seen as a very inappropriate location for wind turbines. The Blomidon Peninsula was also, in general, seen by respondents as very inappropriate for turbines, although there was slightly more support shown than for the Valley Floor. Responses for both the North and South Mountains were more evenly split between the “inappropriate” and “appropriate” spectrums, but there was a slight weighting to the “inappropriate” side for both cases. 8. General Comments Questionnaire respondents were given an opportunity to write any general comments they had. Over 300 comments were received, ranging from single sentences to 700 word essays. The topics addressed in the comments are plentiful and diverse. An attempt has been made here to summarize some of the general themes, but it must be recognized that a summary can in no way fully capture the variety of well-considered and passionate comments that were submitted. Readers are highly encouraged to take the time
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