Uranium Debate Stirs Emotions In La Ronge
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 16:22
Debate at most of the public meetings on a report about the future of uranium has focused on fears about a proposed nuclear reactor, but people in La Ronge last night had more to say about the uranium mining industry — both good and bad.
Long-time northern educator Peter Mayotte says people living in the mines’ impact areas are still missing out on some jobs, but he still sees a lot of opportunities for locals, not just the so-called “popcorn” northerners who come for the good jobs, then leave again.
Mayotte also disagrees with the view that it’s unwise to build a reactor just because it would produce more energy than the province needs — he sees a lot of value to exporting the excess.
Mayotte says further nuclear development is a good idea, as long as it is done in a sensible way that protects the environment.
However, former miner Richard McKay says he’s seen too much, and heard too many horror stories — from destroyed fish habitat to deformed infants — to believe any use of uranium can be truly safe.
He says the uranium industry isn’t good at cleaning up after itself, and that makes him scared for the future.
Meanwhile, the government-commissioned report gets a “thumbs-down” from a La Ronge lawyer, who says the question shouldn’t be “how” uranium should be used, but whether it should even be used at all.
Terra Lennox-Zepp says the public consultation process on the Uranium Development Partnership’s report — which hit La Ronge last night — has a “manipulative mandate”.
She says the report gives the public only one option — supporting nuclear development — while downplaying the amount of water and fossil fuels uranium processing consumes and the concerns about waste storage, as well as the amount of taxpayer dollars required to build and run a nuclear reactor.
Lennox-Zepp’s call for a similarly-funded study and public consultation on renewable energy sources got a show of support from approximately half of the 80-plus people at last night’s meeting:
Lennox-Zepp also questions the authors’ biases, since the presidents of uranium giants Cameco and AREVA Canada, and the head of Bruce Power were all involved in creating the report.
Bruce Power is the company that wants to build the reactor recommended in the report, which the authors suggest be used for nuclear research and production of medical isotopes.
More public meetings will be held in the Athabasca Basin next week.