[NukeNet] $6.2-billion nuclear power plant planned for Alberta

[Mike Ewall]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/070504/b050499A.html

Alberta company plans for $6.2-billion nuclear power plant in northern Alberta

CALGARY (CP) - The president of a Calgary-based energy firm that's 
determined to bring nuclear energy to Alberta understands there may 
be some trepidation about the prospect.

Wayne Henuset says he was a bit worried himself until he did his 
research and consulted with Albertans a couple of years ago.

"People are for this and want this and understand it a lot more than 
I ever anticipated," said the president of Energy Alberta Corp., who 
would like to build a $6.2-billion, 2,200-megawatt Candu twin reactor 
in northern Alberta.

"People are concerned about CO2 these days and they understand that 
nuclear has been around for 30 years," he said.

"We had one or two accidents and one was crazy catastrophic, but they 
don't use that technology anymore and they've moved past it."

A reactor meltdown at a plant in Chernobyl, Russia, in 1986 resulted 
in countless deaths and forced the resettlement of 336,000 people.

"The Chernobyl accident? They won't even allow them to build those 
kind of reactors any more," Henuset said. "They were a thing of the 
past, they were dangerous and they should never have let them build 
them in the first place."

Nuclear power is expected to be a hot topic at the annual general 
meeting of the Alberta Conservative party this weekend.

Premier Ed Stelmach says nuclear power is a serious issue for his government.

"We have to be open-minded," the premier said Friday night. "There's 
information coming forward that we have to share with Albertans and 
then seek their input."

Stelmach said it will be up to federal authorities to look at the 
planning and safety of any nuclear plant.

Energy Alberta hopes to build the nuclear power plant in either 
Whitecourt or Peace River in northwestern Alberta. A decision on the 
location is expected by Sept. 15.

Even the mayor of Whitecourt isn't sure how well the proposed project 
will fly even though it would create 800 jobs locally.

"It's just way too early.  It's only been on the street for four 
days," said Whitecourt Mayor Trevor Thain.

"I've had a couple of e-mails that are against it and tons of 
conversations with people who say this is a good thing for 
Whitecourt. I know there is going to be some negativity to it, I just 
don't know how much."

There are other hurdles facing the company, including a June 15 
application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Obtaining a 
blessing from the commission will be a long and arduous process and 
has to be tied in with environmental assessments, public hearings and 
provincial permits for water usage.

"We expect the process to last three years before construction can 
start, but then there is a third phase which happens during 
construction," explained Phil Webster, director of new reactor 
licences for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

"So I guess it's true until the station is actually operating there 
are regulatory hurdles to get over."

An official with the Sierra Club of Canada wasn't surprised about the 
planned application but questioned the decision to go ahead with the project.

"Economically it has proven to be a catastrophe for Ontario and 
environmentally it's suspect," said Sierra Club executive director 
Stephen Hazell. Nuclear waste has a half-life of 50,000 years.

As well, a project like this would do nothing in the short-term to 
alleviate any power shortages, Hazell suggested.

"It's not a quick fix. The quick fix for Alberta is to get a lot more 
energy efficient," he said.

"If there's some thought that nuclear energy is going to be able to 
fill some gap caused by declining natural gas supplies to allow a 
ramp up of the oilsands, you're going to have to wait a while."

Energy Alberta said the project would be financed privately and the 
power produced sold to an unnamed oil and gas company.

Any application would be treated like any other major project, said a 
spokesman for Alberta Environment.

But Andrew Horton said any reviews would be done in conjunction with 
the federal regulator.

Energy Alberta intends to hold its own public hearings in both 
Whitecourt and Peace River. Whichever community is ultimately chosen 
will have to be behind the plant 100 per cent, said Henuset.

© The Canadian Press, 2007