A golden eagle in Kuusamo, North Ostrobothnia, in March 2022. Helsingin Sanomat on Monday reported that the Ministry of the Environment has shelved a report laying out the adverse effects of wind farms on the golden eagle, citing the painstaking nature of finalising the report based on comments from stakeholders. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)
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THE MINISTRY of the Environment has refrained from publishing a report discussing the adverse effects of wind farms on the golden eagle, reveals Helsingin Sanomat.
The report, which had been commissioned by the ministry itself and been distributed to local and regional stakeholders for comments, concluded that some of the wind farms built on the home ranges of golden eagles should have not been built.
Helsingin Sanomat on Monday reported that the ministry has also buried another report, one examining the adverse effects of offshore wind farms on seabirds. Also it, the newspaper highlighted, had been completed with the exception of final revisions based on comments received from stakeholders.
The Ministry of the Environment in September sent environmental authorities e-mails thanking them for their comments on the report. The e-mails also stated that the publication plans have been abandoned due to the painstaking nature of finalising the reports and prohibited the authorities from using the reports as a basis for decision-making.
The reports were commissioned to support the work of local and regional authorities in reconciling wind farm projects with vulnerable birds. They mostly drew positive comments from experts at the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).
The ELY Centre for North Ostrobothnia, for example, described the report and the broader issue as important because the number of wind farm projects – be it ones that have been completed, have received permits or are being planned – has continued to increase due to the energy transition.
ELY Centres were notified of the decision not to publish the report in early September.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, the notification came a couple of weeks after the reports had drawn critical comments from Renewables Finland and Juha Niemelä, the managing director of Metsähallitus. Metsähallitus has a dual role on the matter, one of its divisions being tasked with protecting the golden eagle and another of generating value from wind power production.
Niemelä’s comment was drafted by the wind farm division of the company managing state-owned land assets in Finland.
It recommended that the ministry forgo publishing the report, citing the need to update modelling of collisions between golden eagles and wind turbines. It also reminded the ministry of the government-set goal of doubling green energy production in Finland.
“The golden eagle report as a whole challenges the progress of wind farm projects and jeopardises the realisation of climate goals in Finland,” it read according to the newspaper.
Renewables Finland, an advocacy for wind power production, speculated in its comment that the report might exaggerate the collision risk because there is evidence of only a single incident in which a wind turbine has maimed a golden eagle in Finland. The report, though, pointed out that the construction of wind farms in the home ranges of eagles has picked up only recently.
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Kai Mykkänen (NCP) denied any involvement in the decision not to publish the reports through an aide.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
