A Northumberland advocacy organization says public response to the proposed Wesleyville nuclear generating station shows strong demand for a more thorough review of renewable alternatives before any approvals are granted.
More than 700 submissions have been posted to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada as part of early public input into Ontario Power Generation’s proposal. A release issued by opponents says only a small fraction express clear support, with most raising concerns about cost, scale, and long term impacts on the region.
Blue Dot Northumberland spokesperson Ralph Torrie says many residents believe the assessment must more carefully examine other ways to meet future electricity demand.
Torrie says the group wants regulators to require clearer evidence that new nuclear generation is necessary.
He also argues a project of the proposed magnitude would transform the county, both socially and economically.
Torrie and others point to experiences in Kincardine, home to Ontario’s existing Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, where past construction cycles have driven rapid growth and strain on local housing and services. Historical records show that when reactors were first built in the 1970s, Kincardine’s population and housing stock expanded quickly to meet demand, and when major units were shut down in the late 1990s the community experienced an economic downturn that hit jobs and the local housing market hard.
Beyond local effects, Blue Dot questions whether concentrating future supply in large nuclear facilities matches global energy trends.
The impact assessment process is expected to continue in the months ahead, with additional opportunities for public participation.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)