Welcome to the website for the Benjamins Mill Wind Project. This website has been created to provide information to community members, First Nations, government and other stakeholders about the proposed project. Natural Forces is committed to meeting with stakeholders about our projects. Open houses and other community engagement activities are planned for this project and the website will be updated as information is available.
Update: the environmental assessment for the Benjamins Mill Wind Project was registered with the province on January 18, 2022. More information is included below.
About the projectThe proposed project will have an installed capacity of anywhere between 50 MW to 150 MW. This represents 8 to 28 turbines that and could collectively power an estimated 17,000-50,000 homes.
The project is being proposed by Natural Forces, a private independent power producer, and is located in the West Hants Regional Municipality in Hants County, a few kilometers from Smith's Corner and Falls Lake. Note: Natural Forces intends to bid this project into Nova Scotia's upcoming renewable energy program, the Rate Based Procurement Program. For more information, visit the program's FAQ section for the public here. |
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Why here?When developing a wind project, it is crucial to find the best suitable location and community to host it. To do so, there are four main factors to consider during the site finding phase of development:
The location of the Benjamins Mill Wind Project was selected after a thorough review of all of these factors. |
Our process
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1. Development - Current Phase
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2. Construction
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3. Operation
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4. Decommission or Retrofit
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What we're doing
Our studiesAs part of the permitting process, and to give us a better sense of the land and environment, Natural Forces conducted a number of studies on the lands surrounding this project area.
Natural Forces has a team of biologists, planners, engineers, wind resource experts and other scientific professionals that conducted, monitored and reviewed these studies. We also hired top-tier consulting firms to conduct research on our behalf and make recommendations. More information on these studies is available on this webpage below. We will also host an online open house in early 2022 to discuss the results of these studies and hear feedback from the public. Information on this open house will be sent out to stakeholders and posted on this website closer to the date. |
Information and TimelinesWe are committed to providing the public with the results of our studies and providing our most current timelines. See below for all of our available information.
Information:
Timelines: Natural Forces is currently developing this project with the intention to bid into upcoming renewable energy procurement programs, such as the Nova Scotia Rate Based Procurement Program and the Green Choice Program. Timing is dependent on signing a Power Purchase Agreement. As such, any timelines are subject to change. Please note that ahead of construction, Natural Forces will send further updates and host at least one additional open houses in your community. Community members will also have the opportunity to review and provide comment on our environmental assessment. Projected timelines are as follows:
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Environmental Impact Assessment
In Nova Scotia, any wind projects that exceed 2 MW in size are required to complete a provincial environmental impact assessment (EIA). During this process, an entire committee made of provincial and federal agencies evaluate the location and overall impact of the project on the surrounding environment and the public. As the Benjamins Mill Wind Project will produce up to 150 MW of electricity, it is subject to an EIA.
To fully assess the potential environmental impacts of the project, the following comprehensive studies have been conducted:
- Wind Resource Assessment
- Wetlands and Watercourses Surveys
- Bird and Bat Surveys
- Vegetation and Habitat Surveys
- Noise and Visual Assessments
- Radiocommunication Impact Assessments
- Archaeological Assessments
The results from these studies are compiled in the EIA document that was registered with the province on January 18, 2022. The full EIA document and the associated studies is available for download below. Additionally, the EIA document can be viewed in person at the following locations:
- The Nova Scotia Environment Regional Office at 136 Exhibition Street, Kentville, NS
- The Windsor Regional Library at 195 Albert Street, Windsor, NS
- The West Hants Municipal Office at 100 King Street, Windsor, NS
The Department of Environment and Climate Change invites the public to submit formal written comments about the EIA for the Benjamins Mill Wind Project on or before February 17, 2022. More details on this process can be found on the Nova Scotia Environment website here.
Any questions related to the EIA can be directed to Meg Morris (902-422-9663; mmorris@naturalforces.ca), or can be addressed at the online public meeting that will be held in February.
| Environmental Assessment Registration Document |
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Frequently Asked Questionsare wind turbines noisy?
Wind turbines have moving parts and therefore some sound can be expected. However, well-designed wind turbines are generally quiet in operation, and compared to the noise of road traffic, trains, aircraft, and construction activities, the sound from wind turbines is very low. As wind turbine technology has evolved, the sounds emitted have decreased. The further away you are from a project, the less sound it will make. This site will likely have trees and other barriers that would break a lot of the sound before it reaches homes. A typical wind project would have a noise level of between 35-45 decibels. For reference, the compressor of a refrigerator produces 40-45 decibels. (Check out the Energy Nova Scotia Wind Page for more information). Stories of excessive noise often come from areas where the turbines are very close to homes. Natural Forces follows the minimum standards for distance from residences laid out by local regulations, or a typical minimum of 1KM.
How close are the turbines to Residences?
The proposed turbines will be set back at least 1.0 km from all cabins and houses.
Are wind turbines bad for my health?
A study done by Health Canada in 2014 investigated the health effects of wind turbine noise. This study found that wind turbine noise was not associated with self-reported sleep, illness or stress levels. The summary of these results can be reviewed on the Health Canada Environmental and Workplace Health page and links to additional studies can be found in the following section.
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How does Natural Forces get the land?
For this project, Natural Forces leased land from private landowners and has made agreements with the provincial government for Crown land. Over the course of several years, we have developed trusted relationships with the landowners and in all instances the land remains in the ownership of the landowner and is leased for the duration of the project. No land has been leased from unwilling landowners.
can LOCAL COMPANIES take part DURING CONSTRUCTION?
During construction, Natural Forces makes every attempt to hire local contractors, using our in-house construction management company, Natural Forces Construction, to ensure smaller contractors are able to participate.
Will there be an impact to the environment?
Natural Forces undertakes rigorous environmental impact assessments ahead of construction to determine existing environmental sensitivities and potential impacts on the project to the environment. This information will be reviewed by provincial government officials and will be open for public comment.
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More information
For more information, or if you have questions and comments on this project, please contact:
Meg Morris
mmorris@naturalforces.ca
902-422-9663
mmorris@naturalforces.ca
902-422-9663