HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-12-10, Page 16S
Briefs to Power Commission
oncern loss of a
'We like to know our tiistoitieis
'CO'=OPERA `MVES OP ONtAtitti,
300 persons from Huron,
Bruce, Perth, Wellington • and
Waterloo counties attended a
preliminary meeting,of the Royal
Commission on Electric Power
Planning in Wingham last
Thursday.
The show of unity was not lost
on the commission members: "It
is the largest crowd yet and the
most unanimous as far as concern
over a central issue," said
Commissioner Dr. William
Stevenson.
The issue was, the loss of land,
especially prime agricultural
land, for hydro generating
stations and power lines. This
Concern was stressed over and'
over again in the 14 briefs
presented at the meeting.
What did come as some
surprise to the commission,
however, were the voiced offers
of co-operation from those
present, both in working with the
commission and in working
together, and the manifest
agreement between urban, and
rural groups.
CANTDU SPEAKS
The first group to present a
brief was CANTDU, a Goderich-
based group of activists who focus
mainly on the implications of
nuclear power use in the country.
CANTDU representative Donald
McKee spoke for five other
groups that have joined with
CANTDU to present a united
front.
Mr. McKee's brief was not so
much a presentation of concerns
as a request for funding to study
certain issues for the ultimate
submission of findings at a formal
hearing. He asked for approval of
a total budget of $12,500 for the
group.
Mrs. Marilyn Penfold of R.R.6,
Goderich, followed in CANTDU's
steps with a short presentation of
concerns about nuclear power
plants and their effects on
society. "I would like to know
more about the implications of
thermal pollution by all the
proposed power plants," she
said. "What is the real cost of
nuclear power? Why aren't more
funds being allocated for research
into alternative energy sources?
We can no longer speak of
energy, no matter what• the
source, without considering
conservation."
Mrs. Penfold's brief presented
the commission with a question
,not raised in any meeting to date,
Dr. Stevenson said: What
happens to nuclear power
reactors when their life
expectancy is exhausted due to an
increase of radiation levels? In
`fact, added Commissioner Robert
Costello, he wasn't even aware
that this could happen.
ENERGY QUOTA,
Mrs. Penfold also suggested
establishing an "energy quota"
and reversing the rate structure
ras ways to conserve energy. '`The
linore you *use, the cheaper it is,"
she explained, citing this ration-
* as the reason for energy
Ouse.
The brief of the Concerned
Partners of the United Town,
ships, representing Turnherry,
liowiek, Wallace, Maryboroup,11,
Peel, WOol*kh and Pilkington,
played the first note of the theme
that would run like a connecting
rink through the rest of`the Weft
to follow:
"For the sake Of Out foodiand*
thorough study and researcl
Hoist be carried out, independent
"y of Hydro, Of the area affected
ietore a decision is made on th
!orpansion of Elriice, the need for
southerly' 500 k.v. tratistnisSiO
hie route out of Bruce and ii
related GOderich genergitio
Cation."
Lloyd Were iif LiStciWel,
man of the United Townships
group, also raised the question of
farming hazards under hydro
lines. He described a
demonstration on electrical
effects in the Barrie area "with
only half as many wires as the
ones proposed out of Bruce."
"If everyone was to receive the
amount of shock in.this room right
now as I did (in the demonstration
trailer), the room would be
cleared in a hurry," Mr. Moore
concluded.
PRESERVE FOODLANDS
His concerns were echoed by,
the seven representatives of the
participating townships. "We
have n ow one mistake, let's not
make more," George Adams of
Turnbery Township pleaded.
"The erection of transmission
towers on our top producing food-
lands will m ake farming
operations dangerous and
inefficient," Harry Winkel of
Howick Township concluded.
Eldon Vines of Wallace Town-
ship presented statistics.to
support the importance of Bruce,
Huron, Perth, Lambton, Water-
loo,. Wellington, Middlesex and
Oxford counties in Ontario' agri-
culture.
The Peel Township representa-
tive voiced the major opinion:
"We conclude that it is morally
wrong to exchange our good food
lands for development and not
preserve them for future genera-
tions, when so much land is avail-
able, without destroying our
agricultural land."
Reeve Lorne Murray of Mary-
borough Township issued a
statement that came as some-
what of a shock to the
commission: the environmental
effects of hydro corridors have not
yet been researched. "these
proposed major hydro corridors
coming down through our area
would disrupt agriculture in a way
detrimental to the production of
food," Reeve Murray said."To
my knowledge a complete, inde-
pendent environmental impact
study has not yet been done on
these proposed hydro corridors."
The Listowel Veterinary Clinic
was represented at the meeting
by. Dr. A .L.MacKay: "our first
concern lies with the preservation
• of agricultural land and its future
use. We have a duty, a moral
obligation, to utilize class 1 and 2
,agricultural land in the limited
areas where it can be found. This
land must not be removed from
agriculture."
Dr. MacKay also voiced a sug-
gestion that generated consent-
ing applause from those present:
That if a decrease in service reli-
ability could slow Hydro's rate of
expansion, "we as individuals
could accept the inconveniences
of minor service interruptions."
JUNIOR VIEWPOINT
A • Listowel Central School .
grade eight student added
another dimension of concern at
the, meeting. "Will progress eat
Up our foodlands with generating
stations, transmission lines,
highways, dog food companies,
city people who want weekend
retreats?" Dean Clarke asked.
"Granted, we will likely have lots
'to eat but what' about my
children
e and their children?"
(Continued on Page 18)
164- HE'BRUSSELS Mitt 'DECEMBER 10, 1975
l)ttiarnet
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nculturat land
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