Greenpeace confronts Nuclear Energy Minister Smitherman.
We parked a large billboard in front of Queen's Park reading:
"Minister: Don't Nuke Green Energy" to coincide with Smitherman's
scheduled appearance to address the hearings on his proposed Green
Energy Act.
We kept the billboard outside the front entrance to Queen's Park
for several hours to emphasize a key problem with the act.
Greenpeace energy campaigner Shawn-Patrick Stensil was also
scheduled to speak at the hearings after Smitherman.
Exposing hidden nuclear clause
The Queen's Park action was to expose a little-known clause in
the Green Energy Act that allows Smitherman to indiscriminately
build nuclear reactors without any public review of their cost by
the Ontario Energy board. Greenpeace wants this disturbing clause
removed.
Trojan horse concern
"Smitherman has turned the draft Green Energy Act into a Trojan
horse by embedding in it a nuclear clause that will badly undermine
the future of green power in Ontario," said Stensil.
"Smitherman's plan to build new reactors blocks the development
of green energy. A law that gives him the right to build reactors
without any public input makes a scary situation even worse."
Cost review vital
Greenpeace believes an independent review of nuclear costs and
green options is important because the cost of a new nuclear plant
has skyrocketed to $15 billion from $5.8 billion since 2005.
McGuinty government avoids nuclear scrutiny
The McGuinty government has a history of avoiding public review
of its nuclear plans. It exempted its electricity plan, including
the nuclear plans, from an environmental assessment.
In addition, it won't participate in federal environmental
assessments so it can avoid consideration of alternatives to
nuclear.
Qualified support for the Green Energy Act
Greenpeace supports the Green Energy Act as a valuable tool for
creating a green energy system in Ontario.
But "Nuclear" Energy Minister Smitherman has made a decision to
reserve 50 per cent of the province's electricity grid for nuclear
energy. This blocks any significant expansion of green power.
The Greenpeace billboard at Queen's Park had a caricature of
Smitherman pouring nuclear waste on to a windmill to emphasize this
problem.
"Smitherman really will be Ontario's Nuclear Energy Minister if
he doesn't amend the act and say no to new reactors," said Stensil.
"The Green Energy Act will be nothing but a diversion if the Trojan
horse remains to support the government's nuclear agenda."
Government decision pending
Smitherman has said he will announce the government's decision
on whether to rebuild the Pickering nuclear station or replace it
with new reactors in June. Greenpeace's campaign is to convince
Smitherman to replace the Pickering reactors with green energy when
they reach the end of their operational lives beginning in
2013.
Green energy can replace nuclear reactors
A report endorsed by Canada's major environmental organizations
in November shows that the only way the government can expand green
energy is by replacing ageing nuclear stations, starting with the
Pickering reactors, with new green energy sources over the
decade.
"Ontarians want more green power and less nuclear power," said
Stensil. "If he made a decision this summer to replace the
Pickering reactors with green energy, Smitherman could prove his
commitment to green power and prove that the McGuinty government
really wants to be North America's green energy leader.