Homer Simpson

Tuesday January 14, 2019

January 14, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 14, 2019

Ontario government apologizes for alert about Pickering nuclear plant incident sent ‘in error’

Ontario’s solicitor general has apologized for an emergency message sent across the province early Sunday alerting residents about an incident at the Pickering nuclear generating station east of Toronto.

August 15, 1997

“The alert was issued in error to the public during a routine training exercise being conducted by the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre,” Sylvia Jones said in a statement on Sunday.

The alert system is tested twice daily to ensure it is ready in the event of an emergency, Jones told CBC News. In the course of that testing, she said, it appears someone mistakenly pushed the alert on a “live pathway” instead of a “test pathway.”

Who exactly is responsible for pushing out the alert, Jones said, is part of a larger investigation, which will be carried out by Emergency Management Ontario.

“There was no incident at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station that should have triggered public notification. Nor was there ever any danger to the public or environment,” Jones added.”The government of Ontario sincerely apologizes for raising public concern and has begun a full investigation to determine how this error happened, and will take the appropriate steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Later on Sunday, OPG Chief Nuclear Officer Sean Granville said in a statement: “OPG has a sophisticated and robust notification process in place that we would immediately follow in the unlikely event of an incident at the station.

July 26, 2019

“I want to assure the public that there was no incident at the station, and the plant is operating as designed.”

At 7:24 a.m. ET, the alert was issued provincewide, saying an incident was reported at the station. The alert also said it applied to residents living within 10 kilometres of the station.

“There has been NO abnormal release of radioactivity from the station and emergency staff are responding to the situation,” the alert read.

The alert said people near the station do not need to “take any protective actions at this time.”

In a tweet about 40 minutes later, Ontario Power Generation said the first alert was sent “in error.”

“There is no danger to the public or environment,” OPG said. (CBC) 

 

Friday March 24, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 24, 2017

Budget crunch: Hamilton councillors opt to delay HSR plan, hike parking rates, rec fees to lower tax hike

Hamilton will hit the brakes on its 10-year transit improvement strategy, increase parking rates and recreation fees in a bid to stave off a hefty 2017 tax hike.

January 27, 2017

A full day of budget-busting Thursday also included closed-door discussions about selling or changing operations at community halls and carving nearly 84 full-time positions out of the workforce.

If all the last-minute budget-cutting proposals are adopted, the average tax hike will be whittled down to 2.3 per cent, or an extra $76 for the owner of a $315,000 residential property.

Friday August 15, 1997

But the most controversial decision Thursday came when councillors voted to delay planned HSR service standard improvements until next year, including the addition of new buses, 29 drivers and 34,000 hours of extra service.

The move, which saved $2.1 million, was paired with a corresponding promise to put off a planned 10 cent fare hike until 2018.

November 14, 2015

City budget chief Mike Zegarac argued it made sense to delay the 2017 HSR strategy spending because Hamilton is still awaiting promised federal cash to pay for new buses needed to ramp up service.

“It doesn’t make sense to tax residents now if you can’t use those funds to pay for service changes until 2018,” he said.

But that argument didn’t wash with the union for HSR drivers or transit advocates who delivered a 900-name petition to councillors ahead of the meeting pleading for more investment in the HSR. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Friday August 15, 1997

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday August 15, 1997

Jolting Hydro into action

The real danger at Ontario Hydro isn’t Candu reactors. The greater risk is in accepting at face value what the provincial government and the Crown corporation’s board of directors say about the troubled utility.The government and board of directors seem to want Ontarions to believe that the problems at Hydro’s nuclear division are in hand. President Alan Kupcis has sacrificed himself, which is appropriate under the circumstances. Managers have been let go, and more heads will roll in the days to come, says Hydro board chair William Farlinger. Seven reactors are being closed and Hydro will improve its performance beginning right away. The inference seems to be: Carl Andognini’s explosive report has exposed the rot in Hydro management, and we can rest assured problems in the nuclear power generating system are being dealt with.

But the truth is that some of the most difficult, sensitive questions about Hydro’s abysmal performance have yet to be answered or, in some cases, even asked.

– Where was Hydro’s board of directors during the years nuclear division management was growing more isolated and ineffective?

To date, the only board member to acknowledge responsibility is Kupcis, who was also chief operating officer. What about the remainder of the board? Were they unaware of the growing problem? Did directors know of the situation, and fail to act? Some of what was uncovered in the scathing review of Hydro’s nuclear operations is new, but other problems are longstanding and have been aired publicly.

Either the board of directors knew about the problems and didn’t act, or it was asleep at the wheel. Either way it’s remarkable and disturbing that this board is being allowed to continue operating the public utility. As corporate governance analyst Richard Finlay says: “The board has to assume responsibility for the enormity of the disaster that has occurred on their watch.”

At the same time as the Harris government oversees the rebuilding of management, it should put in place a capable board of directors. Traditionally, many Hydro board seats have been patronage appointments. Clearly it’s time that changed.

– Should Ontario Hydro reduce or eliminate its nuclear component over time?

When it comes to things nuclear, there are few objective opinions. Thanks to Hydro’s mismanagement, the anti-nuclear lobby has ammunition

for the foreseeable future in its quest to shut down the nuclear industry, but much of what we’ll hear from both camps in the months to come is nothing more than propaganda. Yes, there is reason to question the extent to which Ontario relies on nuclear power. Waste disposal costs, environmental threats, and lingering questions about effective long-term mainten ance on Candu reactors combine to throw a long shadow over the future of nuclear power. That said, most of the evidence points toward the Candu reactors being safe and efficient if properly maintained. Contrary to what some environmental groups claim, there is no immediate danger from nuclear operations if they are properly managed.

The government and private sectors should use this occasion to launch a research and development campaign to test alternate power generation methods with an eye to reducing Ontario’s reliance on nuclear power. Fossil fuels are not an alternative.

– Should Ontario Hydro be privatized?

No. We’re not confident that the private sector will regulate nuclear power properly, and there’s no evidence that the Harris government has the political will to insist on effective regulation. In any case, it’s unlikely a private sector investor would be interested in the financial swamp that is Hydro’s nuclear division.

That said, it’s obvious the time has come to end Ontario Hydro’s monopoly. The government should plan now to allow private sector power generating companies to compete with Hydro. (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial)