-10Omo WeMy"lms ensa.Otbr2~19 Stayi ng In Touch John O'Toole Durham East MPP My main duties these past weeks and for the next month are as a member of the Select Comrnttee on Ontario Hydro Nuclear. The ternis of refer- ence for the comrnmittee are to examine the Andognini Report on nuclear operations (the IIPA Report) and the Nuclear Recovery Plan (NAOP). Basically our man- date Is to ensure not only the people of Durham, but ail of Ontario that our nuclear operations are safe. The nuclear recovery plan pro- poses expenditures between $4 billion and $8 billion dol- lars ov,,er the next four years. Ontario Hlydro has a debt of some $30 billion at this Urne. This represents some $3,000.00 for every citizen of Ontario. Ontario Hydro has 19 nuclear reactors at three locations, Darlington. Pickering and Bruce. The plan calîs for the shut down of seven reactors at Bruce and Pickering and the re- development of personnel to the remaining 12 operations. Furtherinore, the recovery plan calis for the activation of the Lennox unit 3 & 4 (ofi flred) and the conversion of Lennox 3 & 4 to gas flred, iricreased dependence on coal and cancel export power and Increase imports of power. Ontario Hydro depends on 60%)/ of base load from nucle- ar. These changes wiil result ina aloss of some 4,000 MW of power to be made up from other fuel sources. The recov- ery costs are some $2 billion for maintenance, almost $3 billion for replacement ener- gy, some $1 billion for new equipment, $1 billion for intereat charges on the debt and some $3 billion in other write-offs. The controversy about the safety and public acceptance of nuclear power is at the centre of the debate. Should we be pursulng alter- native sources of energy? It appears to me that al sources of energy be it coal, ofi, gas or water have other envlronmental concerns. It Is also obvious that we are very dependent on power for our very standard of living. Ever stace Sir Adamn Beck founded Ontario Hydro in 1906, there has been a battle. Every gov- ernment has wrTestled over the requiremePt to provide safe, rejiable anid affordable power. Over the past few weeks, we have had presentations from many of the executives from Ontario Hydro Including Mr. Bill Farlinger, president & CEO, Dr. Agnes Bishop, President. of AECB, Dr. Allan Kupcis the former president and CEÔ of Ontario Hydro, Carl Andognini, chief nuclear officer, Maurice Strong, for- mer ch-air of Ontaro Hydro, John Murphy, president of the Power Workers Union, Dr. Robin Jeffries, president of Brtish En'ergy as well, we have heard from Energy Probe, the Clean Air Alliance along with major consumer groups încluding the Municipoal Electric Association. Tlhis week, we will hear from the many con- stituent groups in Bruce. Next week, I encourage mem- bers of the public in Durhamn as well as municipal leaders to contact mie or Ms. Donna Bryce clerk of the commlttee to make presentations to the committee. I have lnsisted that we devote two , days to visit both Pickering and Darlington. For more information on this important Issue contact: John OToole MPP, Durham East, 75 King St. East, Bowmanville, ON LIC 1N4 (905) 697-1501 or 1-800- 661-2433 or ... Ms. Donna Bryce Clerk of Select Comnuttee on Ontario Hydro Nuclear, Room 1405, W7hitney Block, 99 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, ON MiA 1A2. The Minister of Agriculture, Food an-d Rural Affairs. the Hone, Noble Villeneuve announiced the $30 million Rural Job Fund. The fund encourages part- nership and alliances to expand markets, production and processing. ProposaIs must include three elements (quality, marketing and tech- nology). Applications are available at my constituency office, OMAFRA offices and on the Internet at: http://www.gov.on.ca/omafr a Examples of successful innovative alliances are the Vlntner's Quality Alliance, the Lanark Communications Network and the Pork Quality Assurance Pilot Project. 1 arn sure that the Durham Federation of Agriculture and some of our entrepreneurs can access this fund. Durhan's gross farm produc- tion value is over $200 million an increase of some 7.9% since 1991. Diversification and partnershlps are the path to the future. I arn disappointed that Justice Dubin, the Minister of Education and the Ontario Teachers Federation were unable to reach some com- promise this past weekend. I arn anxious like most stu- dents, parents and teachers. 1 am stil convinced that cool- er heads mnust sit down and solve this problem. The min- ister has suggestedl that a $40.00 per day allowance willl be available to assist parents with children under 14 years of age. Your school board will handie the process. You can cail 1-800-263-7965 Ministiy Finance, 1-800-387-5514 Ministry of Education or rny office. M n ie 1 h bha in, in of intst o y a /uImn id a na f alzc f, - Pi, eSpetU IE Unicef *7 ( 416) 437 - 415 3 MASARIJ KARATE CLUB RICK JONES, Instructor 4858 Reg-ional Road 118 Newtonville, Ontario LOA IJO Tel: (905) 786-2793 - Fax: (905) 786-1031 Classes for Chlldren and Aoults