Wall Wants Istotopes!

Here's a link to a Globe And Mail article about Premier Brad Wall's newly-announced plans for nuclear in this province: in short, Brad Wall says Saskatchewan should build a research reactor at the U of S.

Well maybe we should, and maybe we shouldn't. But hats off to Dog Blog commentor Jurist, who predicted Wall would leverage Canada's need for medical isotope production to build support for a full-scale nuclear reactor. Wall is not a stupid politician.

Anyway, the Opposition takes a swat at this development on their website. In a press release, NDP MLA Sandra Morin asks: “How is it that the premier of a province can announce that he plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build a nuclear reactor in two to three years in downtown Saskatoon without public consultation, without a plan and without a firm dollar figure[?]”

Well, good question.

Meanwhile, the other nuclear plant--the one Bruce Power wants to build--isn't for medical isotopes, of course. It's for power generation. And its opponents hate it. They say will be 1.) a cash sinkhole 2.) an environmental nightmare 3.) a distraction from sustainable energy options like wind, solar and conservation 4.) a power source for awful, pollutey oilsands extraction 5.) backdoor privatization of Saskatchewan's power grid and 6.) a strategy to transfer a ginormous pile of money to Bruce Power.

Beatty was at stakeholder consultations this a.m. and will report back when he has a chance. There will be some analysis in the next issue of prairie dog (July 2), as well.

Incidentally, the Globe and Mail story also reports Brad Wall ran on an election pledge to build up the province's nuclear industry. Here's their quote:

"Mr. Wall ran on a platform that included a pledge to build up a full-fledged nuclear industry in Saskatchewan, which already produces nearly a quarter of the world's uranium, but does little beyond extract the ore."

I don't remember this pledge, though it's possible Wall said something vague about getting more money from uranium (sarcsm: which I guess is why the Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) wants to lower royalty rates, eh?).

But I am pretty damn sure Wall didn't promise that his government would build two nuclear reactors.

The Globe and Mail really needs to get someone out to these UDP meetings. They have no idea what the opposition to nuclear is saying. Either that, or they have no interest.