Woodlands County Withdraws letter of Support

This is indeed hopeful news for the people of Alberta. Now is the time to become educated on the issue of nuclear. This will involve hearing from ALL sides of the debate, not just the propagandists, "scientists", politicians and business people who have a vested financial interest in selling our community on the technology! It is interesting to note that the PR rep for EAC does not favor a plebisite on this issue. We wonder why???? Alberta community withdraws support for nuclear plant until issue put to voters

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WHITECOURT, Alta. (CP) - An Alberta community has withdrawn its letter of support for a proposed nuclear power plant until after the issue can be put to voters.

Woodlands County council penned a letter last month endorsing a plan by Energy Alberta Corp. to construct two 1,100-megawatt nuclear power generation plants - the first in the province.

Councillor Leann Caron said the municipality has retracted the letter after 300 people signed a petition saying they want more information on the project.

The letter of support will now be put to voters in a plebiscite, she said.

"We want our people to be able to make a decision themselves rather than the seven of us making the decision," Caron said.

"I think it is too important an issue for us (council) to say yes or no to."

Mayor Jim Rennie said retracting the letter doesn't mean the county is against building the plant.

Concern about the proposal prompted people in the area northwest of Edmonton to hold a community meeting earlier this month to get more information about nuclear power.

Alison Jamison of the Pembina Institute told the crowd about the huge amount of fresh water that is needed by nuclear plants and the problem of disposing of nuclear waste.

Guy Huntingford, a spokesman for Energy Alberta, questioned the need for a plebiscite.

"I can't say that that would be our preference," he said.

"A plebiscite tends to create a flashpoint and that doesn't really give you time to educate people."

The company has partnered with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the federal Crown corporation that makes Candu reactors, and says it has lined up financing and clients.

However, Energy Alberta is still working on its site application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Last month, the company flew Rennie, Whitecourt mayor Trevor Thain and 14 municipal counsellors to New Brunswick on a private jet to tour a nuclear facility.

Following the trip, the councils of Woodland County and the town of Whitecourt wrote qualified letters of endorsement for the project.

Thain said the county's decision to retract its letter of support could put the project in jeopardy.

He said the backpedalling by Woodlands County sends the wrong message.

Energy Alberta officials have said the plants could be built in eight to 10 years, would provide a stable supply of electricity and would not produce very much greenhouse gas.

The last nuclear plant in Canada was built more than 25 years ago.

A decision on exactly where in Alberta the company wants to build the plants is expected to be announced later this month.