Discovery of potential wetland halts work at eastern P.E.I. wind farm

An resident in Eastern Kings is worried the P.E.I. government will continue with awind farm expansion in the area, despite finding a possible wetland along an access route to the development.

Don Humphrey is anEastern Kings councillor, butemphasized that he is not speaking on behalf of the municipality. He initially presented his concerns at a P.E.I. Forestry Commission meeting in late May.

Humphrey saidthe potential wetland was discovered this spring during tree clearing to create anaccess road off ofEast Point Road.

"About two-thirds of the way in to the turbines they struck wetlands, and they weren't expecting it," he said.

Humphrey said he and others had warned provincial officials there was a wetland along the access route that had been missed during surveys done in 2019. He said a pond with bulrusheswas found during a hike at the sitein2021.

Humphrey believes the province's wetland policymeans development of theland should be not be allowed.

"You're not supposed to be there."

In a statement sent to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action saidwork on the access road has been halted and the P.E.I. Energy Corporation has hired experts to resurvey an eighth of an acre ofland.

Officials said the department is waiting for recommendations from that work before making any decisions.

Officials questioned whether wetland exists

In tender documents issued inJune, provincial officials questioned whether this land was, in fact,a wetland. The tender documentssayit could be a combination of "heavy rains, multiple freeze thaw cycles, and snow cover in the weeks leading up" to the tree clearing.

The documents also include recommendations from EastTechEngineering Consultantsabout how work could continue on the access road by putting down a fabric barrier and filling in that portion of theland withgravel.

That work that would require a special permit if the areais determined to be a wetland.

Humphrey feels the situationis riddled with conflict, given that P.E.I. Environment Minister Steven Myersis also the energy minister responsible for the windfarm development.

"Whenever [the energy corporation] gets into a problem with wetland, streams or watercourses, they just go to the minister to get a permit," Humphrey said.

"It just shouldn't be."

P.E.I. did sign a policy in 2003 that advocates for avoiding development onwetlands. The policy offersother options, including compensatingfor wetlandloss by restoring or enhancing other wetlands in the area, creating new wetlands, or funding wetland research.

Currently, provincial environmental permits for projects are not available online, but department officials said work is underway to create a new online access system which they said should be up and running soon.