Most Oppose Nuclear Power in Saskatchewan
Sept 15/09 CBC News: “The Future of Uranium public consultation report released Tuesday has thrown cold water on proposals to expand the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan. The report from consultation chair Dan Perrins says most Saskatchewan people who attended meetings and sent letters to him during the summer do not want a nuclear power plant, a nuclear waste disposal facility, or any expansion of the nuclear industry.
There has been a lot of local and organized action against the nuclear industry in all its aspects in this province. One of the leading activists is Sandra Finley. Saskatchewan is a world leader in uranium production, but doesn’t refine the radioactive metal or have any nuclear power plants. Perrins, a former senior civil servant hired by the government to gather opinions on the Uranium Development Partnership, spent weeks listening to hundreds of Saskatchewan residents talk about uranium development and nuclear power.
“Overall, while there is some support for nuclear power generation, the overwhelming response to this public consultation was that nuclear power should not be a choice for Saskatchewan,’ Perrins writes in a 143 page report. The government said it will take a few weeks to formally respond to the report.
Alberta Chiefs Disapprove of Nuclear Power Plant
May 2009. Alberta Sweetgrass, by Catherine McLaughlin:
“Bruce Power Alberta has given its nod to Whitemud over Lac Cardinal for the location of its proposed nuclear plant in the Peace country. Both locations fall within the territory of the Duncan First Nation and potentially affect lands and resources of other nations such as the Lubicon and downstream communities such as the Little Red River Cree Nation. The location that has been selected is 30 km north of the town of Peace River on the west bank of the Peace River.
“Our nation is not opposed to sustainable resource development. We attempt to work with governments, industry and our neighbours to understand the facts and potential risks of what is being proposed” said Chief Don Testawich of Duncan’s First Nation. Testawich was one of 40 Alberta Assembly of treaty chiefs who met in Grande Prairie in 2007 and voted unanimously to oppose the plant when word first came out of the proposed construction.
Bruce Power Alberta officials met with the Duncan band chief and advisors in Edmonton in early March. Bruce Power Alberta plans to build up to four nuclear reactors that could produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity. A report recently released by the provincial government concludes that nuclear power is a safe energy alternative. But that’s not good enough, said Testawich. Duncan members are concerned about cultural and socio-economic risks. He is calling for resources that will allow the band to ‘look seriously at all these issues in a non-biased way and reach their own conclusions.’”
Mithi-Vergi-Jasapara, India
A farming area where groundnuts and mangoes grow, the government wants to put a nuclear power plant but the farmers are refusing to sell their land. The local villagers are determined to not let it happen.
Nuclear Bombshell
One of the first two nuclear reactors to be built in the U.S. will cost more than originally estimated the San Antonio Express News reported Oct. 31, 2009. “The cost of the reactors proposed by CPS Energy has gone up as much as US$4 billion prompting City Council to to postpone Thursday’s vote on the project’s financing until January.” This means that the build by Toshiba will cost $US 17 billion.
Ontario, Canada government scrapped plans because of high cost for CANDU reactors. (see Nuclear Bombshell: $ 26 Billion — $10,000 per kilowatt! = killed Ontario nuclear power bid.”) This is a story being heard around the world!