Recent letters ‘do not sit well for many’

November 29, 2023 @ 10:51 am

To the editor,

The recent letters written by Tony Zettel do not sit well for many. The 10 points made are personal points only. And when was it announced that South Bruce has become Canada’s nuclear power heartland? Having visitors from other countries, looking at a proposed idea/location, does not make South Bruce known internationally. South Bruce is marketed as “the gateway to Bruce County, an area of rolling hills, scenic highways and warm-hearted people.” Nothing nuclear mentioned there.

In regards to Mr. Zettel’s 10 points:

  1. The NWMO (Nuclear Waste Management Organization) only prints reports that have the outcome they want you to know.
  2. Only three of the 10 generating units have been refurbished. Will others go over budget and rate payers have to pay for the debt?
  3. How does one know what “strong public support” is?
  4. What is done with the waste from medical nuclear isotopes? Where does it go?
  5. There are other alternatives and cheaper means of meeting “net zero.”
  6. OPG and Bruce Nuclear are private companies looking for profits (is your hydro bill going up?) and do not dispose of the waste. It is the government that takes the waste that is back stepped to the rate payers.
  7. Read about what uranium mining has done to houses in Elliot Lake. Did you know that November is Radon Action Month in Bruce and Grey counties, to have your house tested for radon levels?
  8. Is there going to be a binding referendum? Did you know that former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had secret meetings in 2020 proposing to bring nuclear waste to Labrador? Editor’s note: This was reported by various media outlets in April 2021.
  9. If nuclear power is a serious investment around the world, why has Germany shut down all their nuclear plants? Editor’s note: Reported by CNBC in April 2023.
  10. Who surveyed that public opinion has shifted? There are many opposing groups/organizations around the world opposing nuclear power that is causing a waste problem. Will putting nuclear waste in a DGR prevent disasters?

Remember this is Canada’s project. Is the NWMO going across Canada to promote it? Do you hear about it on the national news? Will South Bruce be the place to live and visit when it is no longer known as an area of rolling hills, scenic highways and warm-hearted people? The decision is coming in 2024. Lots to learn, know and think about.

S.A. McDonald

Culross/Teeswater