The Impact Assessment Agency must require that OPG fully address the need for and alternatives to the project

As a resident of Cobourg, living next to Victoria Park Beach on the shore of Lake Ontario, the aspect of having the largest nuclear plant in the world just 17 km away and visible from my yard is a shock. I join the coalition of the horrified at the prospect along with many other residents and tourists that flock to the beach in the summertime. Like Homer Simpson who lives in the mythical town of ‘Springfield’, Wesleyville will be omnipresent for more than a century until that fossilized plant is taken down like Gentilly 1.

Our community and most of Northumberland’s population will live in fear of any future accident that occurs as the prevailing winds blow east towards us year-round. Accidents and poor management must be addressed as the past history of Ontario Hydro/ OPG and Westinghouse attest and is required under Section 22 (1)(a). Risk is completely reduced if we build offshore wind and solar instead. Are you going to insist that OPG present the alternatives to the project as required by Section 22 (1) (f)?

The Impact Assessment Act has improved on the federal Environmental Assessment Act by providing an opportunity for the public to have input into the scoping of the project. However, in a massive project like this, most residents have not had time to educate themselves on the issue in a month to send in comments.  Even the local Hamilton Township Council said the same recently about their own awareness. I have worked hard to do what I can. You also have Bruce and the high-level waste process underway in northwestern Ontario which has made it difficult to get the major environmental organizations in Ontario to focus on Wesleyville until the last week or so. This is not fair to local groups or larger organizations in the province.

My assessment of OPG’s description of the need and purpose of this 10,000MW plant which will be three times bigger than Darlington is that it is for exporting electricity to the United States and not for abating climate change. The issue of need under Section22 (1)(d) will be very important as will the high cost of nuclear and the past history of high-cost overruns.

The 1300-acre Wesleyville site was about to be sold by OPG three years ago to the Town of Port Hope for housing and was abruptly stopped by the Ontario government on March 31^st, 2022, the day it was supposed to close. This Wesleyville New Nuclear proposal is not an energy project within a carefully thought through plan of OPG.  It is instead a fever dream of Doug Ford in his ‘Fortress AMCAN’ plan he elaborated in January 2025. 

The need for this project must be proven and the alternatives to the Wesleyville New Nuclear project must be properly incorporated into the decision-making process and be a major part of the scope  from the Impact Assessment Agency and the Project Panel on Wesleyville with cross-examination from knowledgeable environmental intervenors.