Ontario’s aging Pickering nuclear station is too close to Toronto, too risky, and too costly to continue operating after its extended operating licence expires in August 2018, the Ontario Clean Air Alliance argues in support of a new anti-Pickering petition campaign.
“Closing Pickering’s six reactors would reduce Ontario’s electricity costs by $900 million per year, lowering our electricity bills,” the Alliance states in a campaign flyer. Moreover, “Ontario no longer needs Pickering to keep our lights on—we now have a large electricity surplus. And we have far safer and more sustainable alternatives: water power from Quebec, conservation, wind, solar, biomass, and biogas.”
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OCAA also raises serious concerns about nuclear safety, noting that 2.2 million people live within 30 kilometres of the plant and all of Toronto is within 50 kilometres.
“How would we evacuate if there were an accident?” the flyer asks. “Pickering is the fourth-oldest nuclear station in North America, and one of the largest. Nuclear accidents happen, and when they do, they’re catastrophic. No insurance policy covers you or your home.”
