Ontario PCs want safety audit of all wind turbines after reports of parts flying off

TORONTO - The Progressive Conservatives are demanding a safety audit of all industrial wind turbines in Ontario after reports of sensors flying off some of the huge blades.

Tory environment critic Lisa Thompson says farmers in Bluewater near Sarnia are being advised not to harvest crops near the giant turbines until they notify the wind farm owners so the blades can be slowed down.

The Bluewater municipal council has asked its staff to investigate the reports, and Thompson wants the province to look into the situation as well.

Environment Minister Glen Murray says wind power is among the safest forms of energy technology and he insists it would be premature to suggest there's a problem.

NextEra Energy Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the potential safety threat from sensors coming off the giant wind turbines or say how big the devices actually are.

Murray dismissed Thompson's call for a safety audit of industrial wind turbines, but says he takes the reports of parts flying off very seriously, and his ministry will look into the complaints to see exactly what is happening.