Meeting hears call for caution
More study required on Saskatchewan's nuclear future: forum
By Jeremy Warren, The Star Phoenix June 16, 2009 Comments (17)
NUCLEAR ISSUE ATTRACTS CROWD: Dan Perrins, consultation chair of the Future of Uranium in Saskatchewan forums, addresses a crowd of more than 750 people during Monday night's meeting in Saskatoon. Photograph by: Gord Waldner, The StarPhoenix, The StarPhoenix
A majority of the more than 750 people who packed a Saskatoon convention room Monday night for the latest Future of Uranium meeting rejected any movement on the Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) report that recommended the development of nuclear energy in Saskatchewan.
During an open mic portion of the nearly three-hour meeting, University of Saskatchewan sessional lecturer Chris Jensen asked the crowd to raise a hand for one of two options: Do you support moving forward with the UDP report recommendations, or do you want to halt the report until an impartial study is completed?
A few raised hands were sprinkled across the large, hot convention room at the Travelodge Hotel for the first option. A forest of hands was raised for the second.
The consultation meetings -- Saskatoon marked the ninth -- are gathering public input on the UDP report that recommended several ways to develop nuclear energy on top of Saskatchewan's uranium industry.
Ann Coxworth, the first speaker of the evening, has been with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society for 22 years, but her first career was as a nuclear chemist extracting plutonium from spent nuclear reactor fuel.
"I hope now I can avoid the label of an ill-informed fear mongerer," Coxworth said, to the first of many rounds of applause for nuclear development opponents.
Coxworth was invited to sit on the UDP board, but she declined, she said.
The mandate and composition of the board was a set-up to push for nuclear development, she added.
"(The partnership) was charged with how -- not whether -- Saskatchewan can develop the nuclear industry," said Coxworth.
"It's like a vegetarian being invited to a meeting to decide whether to serve beef or pork for dinner.
"It's not the job of promoters to focus on the weak parts of their product."
Anna Bigland-Pritchard, a 16-year-old student at Borden School, told the audience the Saskatchewan government is not engaging youth on nuclear issues.
"We're not getting properly educated at school and we're left to research the topics ourselves," said Bigland-Pritchard. "Teenagers don't care about newspapers or the news -- they're watching MTV."
Today's children will deal with the negative effects of nuclear power, she said.
"I might have to deal with the mess left by decisions made today by the adults here tonight," said Bigland-Pritchard.
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve McLellan made his organization's pro-nuclear opinions known.
"We knew years ago that Saskatchewan needed houses, and we built. We know we need nurses and we're trying to fix that," said McLellan. "We now know our businesses and homes need more power. We support the UDP's report recommendations."
After hearing at several meetings that people felt there was a lack of alternative viewpoints in the UDP report, consultation chair Dan Perrins added to the agenda an open mic session.
Previously, those attending the meetings would break out into groups for facilitators to take down their comments for Perrins' final report.
But it wasn't easy to hear other criticisms Monday night. One pro-nuclear speaker was shouted down by an anti-nuclear supporter before a moderator could step in. While there have been similar incidents at past meetings, most have been cordial, said Perrins.
"Everyone should feel free to speak their minds, whether they support (development) or not," he said in an interview after the open mic session.
The UDP report recommended the construction of a 3,000-megawatt reactor and other nuclear developments, such as a research reactor that could also produce medical isotopes.
The forums move to La Ronge tonight, before heading to Regina for two days of stakeholder meetings beginning June 22.
Perrins announced Monday three new meetings in northern Saskatchewan. On June 24, the forum stops in Stony Rapids, before heading to Fond du Lac and Wollaston Lake on June 25.
jjwarren@sp.canwest.com
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