The Brussels Post, 1974-02-27, Page 4When asked for his comments
concerning the announcement,
Riddell admitted he had mixed
emotions.
`If in fact, Huron is looking for
more industry,, there is no.
question that a power plant will
entice new industry," said
Riddell. "But we don't know what
we're heading for when we look at
it from the long range point of
view."
"We have no idea what
potential dangers there are in
connection with these nuclear
power plants," said Riddell. "We
are being self-centred. We are
not thinking of what future
generations will have to contend
with because of our decisions."
Riddell suggested that not
enough government money is
being spent to investigate the
alternatives' to nuclear energy -
tidal energy, wind, solar energy,
geothermal energy.
But if Ontario Hydro is
determined to go ahead with'
plans for a nuclear power
development in this area of the
province, Riddell is working to
ensure that it does not eat up
"prime agricultural land".
"This can be avoided," said
Riddell.
Riddell spoke of a brief drawn
up by the Bruce-Huron Hydro
Negotiating Committee which
was present ed to Hon. William
A. Stewart recently.
This brief, having direct
relation to the Bruce Nuclear
Power Station at Douglas Point, proposed site and nuclear power
iri general," said Mrs. Shanahan. was presented to Huron County
Mrs. Shanahan said the public Council' Friday. It deals
has not 'been informed in an specifically with the power
unprejudiced way of the options corridor from Douglas Point to
to nuclear energy. She said many Seaforth through parts of Huron
people are of the opinion that and Bruce.
nuclear energy is clean and safe. Farmers along the proposed
If they knew the issues, Mrs. corridor, said secret ary Dave
Shanahan said, they wotild seek' McCallum, have raised several
thousand dollars out of their own
pockets to compile the Sibbald
Study which shows that the
68-mile corridor will consume
many acres of valuable farmland.
AcCording to the brief, for
every mile of 900 foot corridor,
the loss will be 108 acres; for
every mile of 540 foot corridor,
the loss is 80 acres.
It has been estimated that if a
power line crosses a 100 acre
farm, as 'much as one-fifth of the
farm could be lost to some aspects
of agriculture.
"Since we have an
international protein shortage
and agricultural products are in
great demand, the ' price of
productived land has doubled and
tripled," said the brief. "This has
happened since this line was
planned. We think this corridor
needs a fresh approach."
"Ontario Hydro maintains they
are listening to the views of the
people," the brief went 'on to
say,' but we have very little
evidence to substantiate that they
will co-operate with public
opinion for change."
According to the brief, the
route chosen by Ontario Hydro for
its line passes through prime
agricultural land.
"Although' it may be more
economical to construct a power
corridor, On the excellent
conditions of classes one and two
farm land, we contend that the
extra expense in construction
would be well repaid in the
productived land saved," the
brief read,
"This'concerns us even more
after the recent announcement of
the doubling of the Bruce
Generating. Station when even
more land may be required to
convey Dower,'° the brief
Continued. "We ask you to
consider that this nuclear ,power
complex Will replace agriettIttitei
as the major" industry in our
counties,"
Figures presented by he
committee of fartnets indicated it
4,4:HE BRUSSELS tiestt OIBRUARI( 104
(Continued Itom Page 1)
1985 and would. supply hydro. to
mainly the southwestern region of
the province, London, Windsor,
Sarnia with some hookup to the.
Kitchener-Waterloo area..
Rumors about the possibility of
a nuclear development for Huron
County caused quite a stir in.
March of 1973. At that time, New
Democratic Party candidate, Paul
Carroll, Goderich, lashed out at
Ontario Hydro for not
approaching Huron County.
planning officials with some
notification of intentions.
Although defeated at the polls
in that by-election, Carroll has.
remained 'interested in the
environmental aspects of the
production of nuclear energy, and
has been keeping in close touch
with all phases of the questions
through membership in a
committee calling itself CANTDU
and encompassing five
committeed people from Goderich
and area.
:One member of that committee
is. Mrs.Patrick. Shanahan of
GOderich. When contacted
'concerning the official sounding
news of a nuclear development in
l-furon County, Mrs. Shanahan
commented, "1 would hope that
Ontario Hydro's plans don't
become reality."
"I hope that before much
longer and before. plans become
mueh more entrenched, that the
pliblic becomes informed as to the
issues involved about this
alternatives.
'She urged people to forget the
''foreign sounding scientific
,voids". and look at three main
acts about nuclear energy.
They arc: no amount of,
radiation, no matter how small,
can be described as safe; once
radiation is loose, there is no way
of gathering it up again; and that
storage of Plutonium 239, a
substance encased in the spent
fuel in a nuclear power program
in Canada, is crucial. .
On this final point, Mrs.
Shanahan pointed out that it takes
1,000,000 years for Plutonium 239
to reach the radioactive level of
natural uranium: Presently, this
Plutonium 239 is stored in
facilities with a life span of only
100 years, she said, and while
there may be new longer-lifed
storage facilities on the way, they
are still not developed.
"Hydro says Plutonium 239
storage is safe as long as it is
managed," said Mr s. Shanahan,
"But management is crucial. It is
a high risk thing,"
CANTDU believes that nuclear
energy clearly is an issue for
value judgement as well as a
moral issue which could affect
many generations to come.
CANTDU feels it is unfair to
give the responsibility for
managing Plutonium 239 to
people "yet unborn who have no
say".
It is unwise to count On the
stability of society for the next
million years, " added Mrs.
Shanahan,
CANTDU has made its feelings
known to Member of Parlianient
for Huron, Jack. Riddell.
Contacted at his home Saturday
itiorning„ Riddell confirmed the
truth of the st ateinent in county
etititteli session !ridgy that Sortie
nuclear &Vet-0011CM is planned
for Huron County in the near
tittUre.$
"I would say there is n d
question about that," saki
Prompt attention to, your Flokirer Orde
negutai deliveries to the !Awl Fea*al
ALSO REPRESENTED BY WATTS' keriartAt HO*,
BRUSSELS.
We also have d'eliverilis
Parmeretion, itpverronj.141tIcood. 'Goerigii, •
A word to the. wise
Survivin
energy
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using it witely--hot 'watt6fully—
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your hydro
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ensall,
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others.
Barbara
Hydro talks nuclear plans .at County Council,
would cost about $4,000,000 more
to build the power line through
the corridor suggested by the
committee than through the
corridor proposed by Ontario
Hydro. According to the
committee that is "not enough
money" to justify using up prime
agricultural land.
The route proposed by Hydro
uses up 153,112 lineal feet of
Class 1 land and 13,200 lineal feet
of Class 6 land according to the'
committee. The route proposed
by the committee takes 75,856
lineal feet of Class 1 land and
48,576 lineal feet of Class 6 land.
Gordon Hill, president of the
Ontario - Federation of
Agriculture, estimates that
Ontario farm land is beiiig taken
from production at the rate of 26
acres of improved farmland per
hour.
If present trends continue,
committee members pointed out,
Huron County's prime farmland
could be used up in three years.
Jack Riddell said that the brief
presented by the committee, was
well received in Toronto.
"Bill Stewart is most
sympathetic," said Riddell.
"We've got to take a look at this
waste of agricultural land and
definitely consider the
alternatives."
Dr. Bob Walker, Senior
Ecologist with the Forestry
Department of Ontario Hydro,
seen-o, to agree with this premisS
and told members of Huron
County Council so,
"Soil is not a limitless
resource," said Dr. Walker. "It
must be protected. It is being
used up at an astonishing rate.
Ontario Hydro is being very
careful to make sure we fire not
using it up at the rate indicated."
Dr. Walker said that on the
hydro line to Georgetown; for
instance, Ontario Hydro is
crossing "prime agricultural
land"....but in over 170 miles of
right-of-way, they are using only
40 acres of Class 1 and 2 land.
He said tower bases are
presently estimated to take a 35
foot square area plus again that
much land to permit farm
machinery to turn easily around
them. He suggested that planners
already have designed a tower
which requires much less land
area than this, but that
• (Continued on Page 14)
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