The Rural Voice, 1978-11, Page 18The Voice of A Farmer
by Adrian Vos
It hasn't come as a great surprise that the "Royal Commission
on Electric Power Planning", better known as. the "Porter
Commission". has concluded, after listening to proponents and
opponents of Nuclear generators for three years, that these
new -technology plants don't pose a hazard for the population.
While Dr. Porter is an environmentalist, he rightly found that
the health hazards of fossil fuelled plants are at least as great.
This was an understatement.
The death -toll in coal mining and death from respiratory
ciseases during smog periods are well documented, and mine
disasters are frequent.
In some 23 years of nuclear power there hasn't been one major
accident. The multitude of anit-nuclear groups have had a
thorough hearing, financed through the Porter Commission. I
know they will not accept the conclusion. even though the report
says:" Only very recently have our basic needs been met to the
extent that we can afford the LUXURY of being able to worry
about more subtle hazards."
The report also notes that the initial capital cost is high. but
that the cost per KW of electricity generated by nuclear power
will be considerably lower in the long run.
The report ignores agricultural concerns. but we hope that this
will be dealt with in subsequent reports. The issue of
transmission corridors and the resulting decrease in sales value
of property; the sulphur. fly -ash. acid rain and other harmful
emissions and their effect on the cost of food must be dealt with.
This month and the next, agricultural groups will present their
final overview submissions to the Commission and we hope that
farmers will show their support for the groups trying to head off
the erection of unnecessarily long power lines over prime
'focdland. The Huron Power Plant Committee will present final
arguments on November 16th
The Porter Commission commissioned a study by the
University of Waterloo, Department of Man -Environment
Studies, on the effect of transmission corridors on the price of
property. This study has just been released and it upsets all
previous studies done on this subject.
The researchers began by studying existing literature and
previous research, both in Canada and abroad. They soon found
sudi great defects in the other studies that they threw them out
R and conducted their own in central Ontario. Land compensation
by Ontario Hydro was based on these faculty studeis that said
that there was no effect or at most a negligaible effect on land
prices. The size of the studied lines was not always given or was
incomparable to the high voltage lines of Hydro. In one case the
study concerned wooden poles and 65 volts.
The Waterloo researchers set up an area under 500KV lines.
one under 230 KV lines and two control areas far enough
removed from the lines not to be affected by it. but other wise
having the same characteristics that define market value. The
result was that they showed that land prices under the 500 KV
line were lower 23 to 29 %lower than in the control area.
The properties hardest hit were the smallest properties. (Are
you listening rural urbanites?) In the 230 KV area, all prices
were lower by 17 to 29%.
In a previous report, Dr. Porter said that it appears unfair that
such a small segment of the population as the food producer.
must bear such a disproportionate burden, supplying the rest of
society with electric needs.
Let's hope that he keeps this in mind when making his final
report. !
PG. 18 THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1978
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