Reportrom ueen's Park By Geoge Ashe, MP.P. NUCLEAR ELECTRIC POWER With all the official statements on nuclear electric power resulting from the accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania,.I-was rather reluctant to burden my consti- tuents, who have been living in harmony with the Pickering Generating station for more than a decade, with any additional words on the subject. However, a recent letter to the editor of a local weekly newspaper pointing out my negligence in this regard, has changed my mind. In today's column I will address the safety and security of nuclear energy, and next week I will discuss the cost of supply. Three Mile Island has brought home to the Provincial Government and Ontario Hydro the importance of communi- cating to the press and the public, clearly and accurately, events as they happen, and the necessity for order in the executiôn of public safety measures. In the weeks and months ahead, the Government will be working with Ontario Hydro and local officials to streamline the present procedures for better informing the press and the public on'nuclear safety issues. The accident at Three Mile Island, while unfortunate, has served a very valuable purpose in proving that the safety measures built into the plant by the scientists do work. Prior to Unsafe turn charge laid Guy Gagnon of Parry Sound had parked on Brock Street in front of the Royal Hotel last week. When he left the area he drove his car out from the parking space facing north and made a U turn on-Brock Street in front of a south- bound vehicle, police said. The other car driven by Dale Thompson of Whitby had turned off Mary Street and was southbound -on Brock Street when Mr. Gagnon-'s car in the process of the U turn collided with the Thompson car, police said. There was $500 damage done to the Thomnson car DENTURE and $2,000 damage done to the Gagnon car as a result of the accident. Although an ambulance was dispatched to the scene of the accident there were no injuries, police said. The ambulance men checked an 11-month old baby that had been knocked from the baby-car safety seat. He was found unharmed, "a bit shaken up," as a result of the jolt and being knocked from his safety seat, police said. Mr. Gagnon is charged with making an unsafe turn and will appear in the Traffic Court held inA.jax in the near future. THq'ERApy il. CLINIC 111 DUNDAS STREET WEST WHITBY 668-1464 0 Mom's Day away from the kitchen ... that's Mother's Day! Treat her to a special dinner in a relaxing atmosphere. Complimentary carnations to the ladies. Watch next week for Wednesday and Thursday dinner specials. Starting next week join us Thursday night for dancin JhE EHAIaET Bouse of Roust Beef 110 Dunds St., W., Whitby 668 Three Mile Island, these were paper theories, because they- had never been put to the test. No one, either inside or outside of the Harrisburg plant, was injured or overly-exposed to radiation througout the duration of the crisis. And this outcome gives even greater confidence to our Ontario scientists because our Candu reactors are, in many respects, safer than those used in the United States. Simply stated, our Candu system, among other features, provides for putting the containment system under vacuum in the event of a spill of radioactive material, whereas the American reactor does not. Realistically, the absolute safety of any industrial process or human activity, cannot be guaranteed. There is risk in everything we do ... flying an airplane, cooking by gas, working in a mine or generating electricity by any means, including nuclear reactors. But nuclear plants have been operating in Ontario now for fifteen years, and there has not been a single radiation injury to the public or to the operating staff. (Just to clarify a point, recently two employees at Bruce Generating station were exposed to 5 1/2 and 8 Rems of radiation. This is less than the amount of radiation encountered by anyone having a routine X-ray series). Ontario presently has three main sources of energy ... oil, gas and electricity. Gas and oil must be imported. During these volatile and uncertain political times, adequate supplies at a reasonable price are not secure, particularly in the case of oil. We can and do produce electricity ourselves, and we know we can rely on this source of energy ourselves, and we know we can rely on this source of energy for both industrial and residential use. HITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9,1979, PAGE 21 As Werydlne is aware t6~geëratë eêtilcity, we must have power plants. Up until 1965, electricity was produced through the use of hydraullcs (water) and fossil fuels (coal and oil). Since 1965, we have also generated electricity in this province through the use of nuclear reactors utilizing our Ontario uraninum resources. Last year, almost one-third of the electric power used in Ontario was provided from this source. The days when electricity from Niagara Falls, or other water-generated electric plants, can supply a large share of Ontario's power needs are gone forever. Coal, like oil, must be imported and therefore an adequate supply, at a reasonable price, is not secure. Further, coal burning plants produce large quantities of acid rain. As pointed out previously in this column, if we do not reduce our use of this pollutant (no less increase it with more coal burning generating plants), within twenty years, 48,000 lakes in Ontario will be cóntaminated and vegetafion and forests may.slowly be destroyed. Our energy requirements are growing, and our scientists have not yet perfected ways to harness the sun and other renewable energy sources. The Government's choices for meeting the increased energ'y demands of the Ontario taxpayers are limited. We can rely on the whims of other governments with the purchase of more gas and oil, for however long these resources last and at ever increasing prices. We can build more fossil fuel electric generating stations, once again with uncertainty of supply at a reasonable price and add to acid rain. Or we can continue with our nuclear program, with its proven technological and safety record, albeit with some, although small risks. "SPECIALS" KEVIN O'CONNOR'S WHITBY DODGE CHRYSLER LTD. OVER INVUICE! BRAND NEWI 1979 CHALLENGeR- ARROW GS & ARROW GT GETTING THERE IS MORE FUN IN A '79 DODGE CHALLENGER With Challenger, Chrysler shows how exciting a small 2-door sport coupe can be. There's a clear understanding of economy with style and dash. Many standard features, such as front and rear bumper guards, forced air ventilation; locking fuel filler door, right and left power remote control mirrors, tinted windows, power front and rear disc brakes, choice of five two-tone paint combinatons, and many more items that are considered "extra cost" options on many other cars. ARROW FOR '79 ON TARGET FOR ECONOMY AND STYLE ARROW GT... dressed up and ready to gol All the basic standard features (listed in this catalog) plus dual racing mirrors, 165 SR x 13-inch steel-belted radial raised-white-letter tires, flipper quarter windows, floor console, hood and body side striping, rallye instrument cluster with tachometer, electrically- heated rear window, and simulated wood- grain instrument panel. This makes an Arrow GT a "going" machine even when it's standing in your driveway. SEE THE DODGE BOYS TODAY! KEVIN O'CONNOR - VERN GRADY - TONY VELLA - - JIM SINCLAIR - DON MOSIER - CHRYSLER 5 YEAR 80,000 KM WARRANTY AVAILABLE. V 1.ANAD ALT CHRYSLERJ 200 DUNDAS ST. W., WHITBY 668-6881 W-H I TBY b- Kévin O'Connor's-