[Pollinator] Will the electrical hum of a neighbouring solar facility affect bees?

[Kimberley Fellows]

If anyone can answer Julie's question below, I would be very grateful.
Please reply to kim at seeds.ca

Best regards,
Kim Fellows

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To Whom it May Concern,

We live in a small community in Scugog Township, Ontario.  Due to
agricultural lands zoned rural in our Township, that "loophole" has enabled
a solar company to aquire a contract from Ontario Power Authority to
install a Class 3, ground mount solar facility on  90 acres of Class 1
agricultural land (Canada Land Inventory), next door to our farm.  There
are farms on all surrounding properties to this proposed project, with the
proponents working on their reports and steps within the REA process.  They
do not have final approvals yet.

As we are researching and discussing the information provided to us from
these reports, we are finding concern in the noise levels during the
construction process and also when this project is operational.  There will
be 10 units holding inverters and transformers, a substation and a 120 foot
communications tower in the centre of the project.  At first, we were
concerned with the sound affecting our homes and livestock.  The more we
discussed the issue, our concerns have grown.   As farmers who count on our
crops for our livestock as well as sales, we are concerned that the
constant "hum" from the project will affect the bee pollination of
surrounding farmlands. One neighbour also has bee hives on his farm for
honey production.

Do we have a valid concern?  As there are very few solar facilities of this
size in Ontario, we have been unable to find any research on the subject.
If you have any information or could direct us to a reliable source, we
would really appreciate it.

Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,
Julie and Terry Till
855 Cragg Road
Scugog Township, Ontario


-- 

*K i m b e r l e y   M.   F e l l o w s**
*Pollination Outreach Coordinator*
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Canada<http://www.seeds.ca/proj/poll/>
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<http://www.pollinisationcanada.ca/>303-40 King Street South
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