Peace River — Mel Knight's announcement that nuclear power will be considered as an energy option in Alberta does not sit well with the Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta, the province-wide alliance of grassroots organizations opposed to nuclear development.
Adele Boucher Rymhs, Coalition President, feels the Government has turned a deaf ear to the people to save its image on climate change. "They are saying that we should consider nuclear power because of low carbon emissions, and are totally ignoring the fact that radioactive emissions will be just as big a problem in our atmosphere."
Though results of the online survey indicated that 55% of respondents were opposed to nuclear, the Government has chosen to allow unproven new generation technology to be developed in this province. The report also showed 75% of Albertans are concerned about the health impacts of nuclear and 77% do not want to leave a nuclear waste problem for future generations
The Coalition believes the Stelmach government is abrogating its responsibility to Albertans to protect their health by simply deferring regulatory duties to the federal government. "We have seen how the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission allows the nuclear industry in Eastern Canada to contaminate the environment" says Boucher Rymhs.
At Monday's media conference, Energy Minister Mel Knight acknowledged there is no known long term storage solution for nuclear waste, and recognized there would be challenges to dealing with this in the future. He dismissed the problem as more of an economic issue than a health risk, but the Coalition sees this as one of the main reasons that Alberta should say no to nuclear.
"We will be left to manage radioactive waste for many generations so this province can sell Americans a cleaner form of energy than oil from the tar sands" says Boucher Rymhs.
Although Mel Knight says the government "will not invest public dollars in any nuclear power proposals", the costly transmission lines already approved by Bill 50 will be paid for by consumers and be used to export nuclear power to the United States.
For more information, please contact:
Adele Boucher Rymhs, CNFA President, Peace River, [email protected], (780)332-2554 or (780)618-8477 (cell)
Elena Schacherl, CNFA Vice-president, Calgary, [email protected], (403)244-8001 or (403)860-3372 (cell)