The Goderich Signal Star, 1976-04-22, Page 22•
...Y'Ni:' Wt'.i r • sir r 4
PAGE.1
4--GQDARICH SIGNA
STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1976,;
In response to headlines in.
last week's Signal -Star,
"Says ' solar powered' hydro
plant would require over 100
sq: miles,"Donald McKee,
Benmiller, a rngmber of a
local 'anti-nuclear : group
CANTDU has sent an article
entitled "Let's Halt Canada's.
Fission Program" written by
Lille d",Easum: The . article
first appeared in Alter=
natives, Vol.: 4., No. 2.
Alternatives is an en-
vironmental quarterly
published at Trent, Univer-
sity,•Peterborough,
Writes Mr, .McKee: "R.G.
Hart, -whose words you
-quoted in the article, is very
much part of the nuclear
hierarchy and I suspect that
his words reached you via the
Ontario / Hydro , P.R.
Department.. As is typical of
such' ' individuals, his
arguments assume a
profoundignorance of the
facts in others, make a
simplistic approach to what
are in fact very complex
questions, and, demand an
unquestioning respect for his
own expertise and
authority."
"Thi . beauty of solar.
energy is that you can collect
more energy than the
average' dwelling needs by
'utilizing the area of . the
house's roof, says Mr.
1VIcKee in his letter.. "No need
for .Hydro .plants : at all.
•.perhaps this; is what worries
people like Hart."
"In , the interests of a••
.balanced approach
nuclear .energy question, I
would ask you:to -publish the
enclosed article," McKeeMr.
wrote.
The article follows-:.
Lilled'.,Easum
pulling:
reported that "of the 40
reactors AEC reports 'in,
operation, six have been
prevented, by technical. anc
other • difficulties' 'from •
'starting up. . Half of :the
remaining plants ' are shut .
tinwnbecause of breakdowns,
accidents or Legal difficulties.
w
Others are . operating ,belo
full'powyer. 'In- fact, only silt
are operating" at full' strength',,
trying to .produce the. -,one
percent of U.S. energy ex
pected of them."
. The Septernher,197:4 issue
of Environment:reported that -,,'Nuclear power plant orders .
were cancelled or postponed
by four utilities in Michigan,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey; Con Edison
in NemYork ..(which is in
financial trouble) . sold a
nuclear plant under'
con-
struction to thestate
government; and . other
utilities, includingMississippi. Power and Light,
quietly let announced plans
for reactors lapse..." and the
latest report from the World
Energy Conference inDetroit, was that 21 of the
U.S. plants (about half) wereshut down, The USSR also are
having. difficulties with their
nuclear technology; Sweden,
Denmark, —Finland -and
Norway are "drop-Pingnuclear plants- indefinitely"
and mot'eme.nts 'against
power plants in Japan "are
being :