During a meeting with municipalities in the constituency of Redwater Athabasca in late January, members of the Alberta legislature Ray Danyluk, Jeff Johnson and presenters from various departments of the Alberta government stated the focus of Bill 50 was to support projects like the introduction of nuclear power in Alberta.
Direct quote; “Instead, the presenters explained that the focus was on aiding ‘co-generation’ projects near Fort McMurray to sell power to the grid, and to facilitate the eventual building of a nuclear power facility in the province’s northwest.”Smoky Lake SignalJan. 26.
Read Also
Alberta crop diversification centres receive funding
$5.2 million of provincial funding pumped into crop diversity research centres
I am concerned that municipal governments in this province have not been proactive enough in discussing nuclear power in their respected communities.
How many municipalities in Alberta actually have a position on nuclear power? It seems rather disconcerting to me that the Alberta government states publicly that nuclear power is eventually going to happen before actually talking to the people of Alberta themselves.
It would appear that now is the time for municipal politicians to rise up and take a position on nuclear power.
With the current political environment in Alberta, it would also seem to me that this is a prime opportunity for Albertan’s to make nuclear power, along with the other issues surrounding Bill 50, 36, 19 and 24, a major leadership race question and an election issue.
Otherwise we will have to subsidize nuclear power, nuclear waste and the other societal and health-care costs associated with nuclear power.
Mandy Melnyk,
Chair of the NDP rural caucus, Weasel Creek, Alta.
