Protesters Fighting Proposed Nuke Plant Bring Petition to Alberta Legislature

Residents fighting a proposed nuclear power plant in northern Alberta
took their concerns to the legislature Monday, demanding the province keep
its promise to hold public hearings.

"Let's have consultations, let's have public consultations throughout
Alberta where Albertans can come and present their views and their
concerns," said Brenda Brochu of the Peace River Environmental Society.

Adele Boucher Rymhs of the Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta said
there are environmental and health concerns that need to be addressed.

"Our concern is, when one plant is in and opens the door, how many
more would come?" she said.

The groups, which brought a 2,500-name petition opposing nuclear power
in Alberta, held a joint news conference with opposition NDP legislature
member Rachel Notley.

Notley pushed Energy Minister Mel Knight on the issue during question
period.

"The Ontario government has handed billions of dollars over to the
nuclear industry to subsidize this unviable, short-term energy source,"
Notley said, demanding to know whether Knight would do the same in Alberta.

He said the economics of nuclear power is one of the questions the
panel will answer.

Knight scolded Notley when she asked whether the provincial government
would drop the idea of nuclear power, which creates toxic waste, in favour
of renewable alternatives, like wind power.

"The members opposite just clearly don't pay attention when we say
anything about the energy industry in Alberta," said Knight.

He said Alberta has and will continue to work with "all options" to
produce energy for the province.

Ontario-based Bruce Power is looking for approval to build a
$10-billion four-reactor plant near Peace River to provide 4,000 megawatts
to help power the province's multibillion-dollar oilsands industry and the
public at large.

The proposal has split area residents. Supporters say it will keep
much-needed jobs in the region while opponents fear widespread contamination
of the environment and public health.

John Peevers, a spokesman for Bruce Power, said it's crucial for the
company to know where Alberta stands on nuclear power.

But he said it's more important for the panel to take its time and do
a thorough job than to produce the report quickly.

"Government support is key for this kind of thing. They would be a
partner in this as much as the community is," Peevers said in an interview
from the company headquarters in Tiverton, Ont.

"We're not going to push a technology on the province unless the
people there are comfortable with it."

He said if the provincial government came out strongly against nuclear
power, it could force Bruce Power to reconsider.

Bruce Power has optioned land on two possible sites outside Peace
River.

It has been doing some testing on the first site at Lac Cardinal, west
of the community, but there's concern by residents about possible depletion
of a local aquifer that supplies water to approximately 30,000 people.

But Boucher Rymhs says the second site also poses potential threats to
the water supply for local ranchers, farmers and communities.

"The second site ... is quite likely still within the aquifer system
itself," she said.

Peevers said they went searching for the second site because they
heard the community's concerns about the potential for a nuclear plant to
deplete the water supply in the Lac Cardinal area.

He said an environmental assessment, which includes geological
studies, could help determine whether there's a risk to the aquifer at the
second site as well.

Bruce Power operates six Candu reactors at its electricity generating
stations about 250 kilometres north of Toronto.

The company is also in talks with the Prince Albert Grand Council in
Saskatchewan about a potential nuclear power plant there.

The company is a joint venture of Saskatoon-based uranium giant Cameco
Corp. (TSX:CCO), TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP) of Calgary and other partners.