World Energy GH2 CEO downplays vandalism, says he's not sure it's linked to wind project opposition
CBC
Sean Leet, CEO of World Energy GH2, says he doesn't know whether the recent vandalism at the company's research site last month is connected to opposition to wind projects from locals.
The company's equipment was vandalised on the end of February at their meteorological data site in a remote area a few kilometres from Mainland, a town located on Newfoundland's west coast.
In a phone interview on Thursday, Leet says the company learned about the vandalism through routine check at the end of last week.
"We're disappointed, of course," he said.
A previous vandalism incident occurred in January 2023 at a different job site near Mainland.
But Leet downplayed the January incident, saying the company isn't convinced they were targeted, since the equipment then belonged to a contractor.
"We do know obviously that there's people that are are not supportive of the project, but we continue to look for opportunities to engage with them and to address the concerns that they may have," Leet said. "We will keep the door open for that."
On January 2023, a group of Mainland residents protested the creation of the wind power test site by blocking the road to it for more than a week because they were concerned that the construction of the road leading to the site could disrupt their water supply.
The company's wind energy megafarm, which will use over 300 turbines at two main sites on the island's west coast, will produce hydrogen for sale on the global market. A vocal group of residents has criticized the project since its inception, arguing constructing dozens of giant turbines and many kilometres of new access roads will change the face of the region.
Cpl. Jolene Garland, RCMP spokesperson, told CBC News on Thursday that solar panels on the site were damaged, nearby building windows were broken, and equipment left on site was damaged. The total dollar amount of the damage is at least $5,000.
"When dealing with a company and intentional vandalism on numerous occasions, we certainly consider if there is a motive, something driving this targeted action for some reason," Garland said.
The security cameras on site did not provide enough information to identify the vandals, she added. And speculates the vandalizers must have arrived at the site on snowmobiles as the road to the site was not maintained, preventing vehicle access.
Taunya Murchison of the Mainland local service district committee would not comment on the vandalism investigation.
Leet says that the data collected on the site is crucial for future projects, and the vandalism did not affect it.
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