Saturday, April 23, 2005

We've got to stop federal subsidies from rebuilding the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant!

Prime Minister Martin is under intense pressure from New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord to provide massive subsidies to keep New Brunswicks's only reactor operating. Lord has threatened to build a coal plant if the federal government refuses to subsidize the reconstruction of Point Lepreau as a Kyoto project. We can stop this environmental disaster and prevent a huge waste of taxpayers money.

New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau is a 22-year-old nuclear power plant nearing the end of its life. It will cost at least $1.4 billion to refurbish the plant so that it can continue operating.

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord has said the province will not go ahead with the Point Lepreau refurbishment without Ottawa’s financial help.

The premier is looking for $400 million from the federal government to help cover the cost of refurbishment.

Any federal subsidies for the reconstruction of Point Lepreau would set a costly precedent. All of Canada’s nuclear reactors will need to be closed or refurbished over the next 15 years.

In Ontario, nuclear refurbishments have been prohibitively expensive and have not guaranteed good performance or long-term operation. There are better options than Point Lepreau -- $1 billion could fund large conservation and energy efficiency strategies and a variety of renewable energy options, such as wind power and biomass, that could help meet New Brunswick’s energy needs for the next two decades.

So...

Take action by sending a fax: actionworks.ca/clientfiles/greenpeace/actioncentres/greenpeace/takeaction.jsp

and/or...

Write to Prime Minister Paul Martin and Finance Minister Ralph Goodale and urge them not to subsidize the Point Lepreau nuclear station. Let Ottawa know that energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy can provide new jobs and cleaner, safer options for the people of New Brunswick.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

The Honourable Ralph Goodale,
Minister of Finance
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Fax: (613) 996-9790
E-mail: Goodale.R@parl.gc.ca

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