Lubricant leaks from Essex wind turbines; raises concerns over maintenance, accountability

Harrow wind turbines look to be leaking lubricant, sparking environmental concerns. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell reports.

Wind turbines in the Town of Essex are drawing fresh scrutiny from local officials after reports of lubricant leaks, with municipal leaders raising concerns about long-term maintenance and the future of aging infrastructure.

Mayor Sherry Bondy said residents have been reporting issues with turbines for years, but more questions are surfacing now about what happens as the structures age and contracts begin to expire.

“They’re not new anymore. So, this is what happens,” Bondy said in an interview.

“Residents in our area have been complaining for a couple of years about the turbines. And they do come in and they do clean them, and it does get better. But we are starting to get a lot more questions.”

Bondy said concerns raised by residents include possible oil contamination on nearby farmland, but the town’s ability to intervene is limited.

“Some are worse than others,” she said.

“And some of the concerns are, ‘is oil literally flying from the turbines onto crops?’ I can’t answer that. It’s private property. I don’t have the ability to walk up there and really see what’s going on. But there are legitimate questions from members in our community that need to be answered.”

She added that municipalities have limited tools to enforce turbine maintenance standards.

“Municipalities don’t have a lot of tools in our toolbox to enforce the cleanliness of turbines. So, we’re encouraging residents to contact town hall when they see things.”

The AIM Harrow Wind Farm, which has 24 turbines in operation, is one of the wind energy facilities in the area. Its CEO, Denny Richard, confirmed lubricant staining was identified on 11 turbines over the past couple of years.

In a statement, Richard said the company recognizes the concerns of the local community and has taken steps to address them.

“The cause of the staining has been investigated by the manufacturer and maintenance service provider of the turbines, who identified a loss of a limited amount of lubricant, which is commonly used in turbines, as the cause,” he said.

“After identifying the source of the lubricant, they repaired the relevant turbine components, and the turbines continue to be monitored.”

He added that there has been no indication of lubricant reaching the ground and that inspections and repairs were carried out while the turbines were shut down.

Richard said the turbines were cleaned in 2024 and additional maintenance and cleaning is planned for April, through early summer.

He emphasized that safe operation remains the company’s priority and that AIM Harrow Wind remains in regular contact with local officials and Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks.

“We are grateful to be part of the Essex community and look forward to continuing to provide renewable power to the residents of Ontario,” he said.

According to Richard, the turbines have a life expectancy of around 20 years, though that can vary depending on technical and operational conditions. When decommissioning occurs, the company follows all local, provincial, and federal protocols, including recycling components where possible.

Despite these reassurances, local councillors said they still have unanswered questions about turbine oversight.

“It’s a continuous thing,” said Ward 3 Coun. Jason Matyi.

“So, I’d like to get this in front of council so we can form a plan on what level of maintenance is supposed to be happening, and then what we’re going to do moving forward.”

Matyi said he’s concerned about the lack of clarity surrounding the long-term impacts of lubricant leaks and future ownership of the turbines.

“I don’t think that enough attention was paid to these future issues that we’re having,” he said.

“As these long-term contracts come to an end, I’m not sure who retains ownership of these windmills. And if the companies that are going to be maintaining ownership are individuals, what their plans are for proper maintenance.”

The issue is expected to be discussed further at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.

Town officials said they plan to continue seeking answers and will provide updates as more information becomes available.