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Recent Nuclear Moratorium Announced in B.C.
Publisher: Ralph Torrie, Friends of the Earth, Ottawa, CanadaYear Published: 1980 Pages: 9pp Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX2069 Abstract: The report, Recent Nuclear Moratorium Announced in B.C. is a summary of the events surrounding the recent announcement by B.C. Premier Bennett of "a blanket moratorium for a period of seven years on all uranium exploration and mining activity in the Province of British Columbia." Torrie describes this as "a significant victory for the anti-nuclear movement in B.C. and Canada", adding that "this is not to say that the right wing Social Credit government has embraced the soft energy path philosopy...." The report makes it clear that "the opposition to uranium mining in B.C. is very large, very determined and perhaps most significantly very broadly based, rather than only the action of the Social Credit Provincial Government". Torrie adds that the opposition included both traditional adversaries of the Socreds such as the B.C. Rderation of Labour and traditional Socred supporters. But, according to Torrie, there are other reasons for the sudden announcement. Among the reasons cited are the low quality of B.C. uranium reserves and the growing uneasiness by the uranium industry in Ontario and Saskatchewan about the critical attitude developing within B.C.'s Royal Commission on Uranium Mining (Bates Commission) towards the current regulations on occupational health in uranium mining, uranium tailings management and "the lack-Luster regulation of the nuclear industy in Canada." Also affected by the Commission findings, Torrie points out, would be the rest of the B.C. mining industry which, with the demise of the Bates Commission, has once again avoided public scrutiny. Subject Headings |