Coalition for a Clean Green Saskatchewan Make a Presentation to Legislature Today

STATEMENT BY MEMBER GROUPS OF THE COALITION FOR A  CLEAN GREEN SASKATCHEWAN

The Coalition for a Clean Green Saskatchewan (CCGS) has launched a province-wide campaign to get a legislated ban on nuclear wastes in this province.

Today, a petition calling on the provincial government to stop further expansion of the nuclear industry will be presented to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly by Pat Atkinson, MLA for Saskatoon Nutana.

More than 4,800 signatures are on that petition which specifically opposes “nuclear reactors, uranium refineries and/or uranium conversion, reprocessing or nuclear waste storage and/or disposal facilities. (A copy of the full petition is attached).

Strong opposition to the uranium industry exists in the province. Active citizens successfully halted a proposed uranium refinery at Warman in 1979 and more recently, were instrumental in killing the proposal by Bruce Power to build a nuclear power plant here. Today, we fight to keep Saskatchewan from becoming the nuclear waste dump for North America.

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Background

In October 2008, the Saskatchewan government established the Uranium Development Partnership (UDP). It recommended expanding the uranium and nuclear industry, including building a power plant, and making Saskatchewan a repository for nuclear wastes.

An estimated 2,600 Saskatchewan people and interested organizations attended public hearings on the UDP report. Hundreds more sent submissions to hearing Chairman Dan Perrins. Almost 88% of participants expressed strong opposition to any further expansion of nuclear power in this province.

Here’s what Mr. Perrins said in his final report: “The overwhelming response to this public consultation was that nuclear power should not be a choice for Saskatchewan.”

While the Wall government decided not to proceed with construction of a nuclear plant at this time, they have basically ignored the concerns of Saskatchewan people about other types of nuclear expansion.

During the UDP hearings, a petition drawn up by members of the North Saskatchewan River Environmental Society in Cutknife, was circulated to dozens of communities, large and small. It’s that petition that will be presented to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly on April 14.

2011 is also the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union. And this year will also be remembered for another disaster in Japan involving nuclear power. Saskatchewan is intimately involved in the Fukushima disaster because the nuclear company TEPCO buys much of its uranium fuel from Cameco and is a partner with Cameco in the Cigar Lake uranium mine.

The following organizations and their representatives call on the Brad Wall government, the NDP opposition and the general population to stop the latest proposal to bring nuclear wastes into our province and the proposal to build small reactors at the University of Saskatchewan.

Karen Pederson, North Saskatchewan River Environmental Society (Cutknife and North Battleford) 398-3633;
Jack Jensen, Renewable Power the Intelligent Choice (RPIC, Prince Albert) 764-9569;
Heidi Hougham, Save our Saskatchewan (SOS, Lloydminster) 825-3493;
Jim Harding (KAIROS, Fort Qu’Appelle) 332-4492;
Rick Sawa, Council of Canadians (COC, Prince Albert) 961-7894;