Notre-Dame residents oppose uranium mining
Over 100 community members attend public information session
NOTRE-DAME - Over 100 concerned New Brunswickers worried about uranium exploration and possible mining in the province gathered in Notre-Dame yesterday for a public information session. The message presented was as straightforward as the one printed on the orange and red signs which were handed out to interested community members -- No uranium mines.
"The one big message is that we have to stand up and people have to get together and oppose this as a group. The government is going ahead with it and it has impacted people and people do not want it," said Yvonne Devine, president of the New Brunswick Conservation Council's southeast chapter. "People are standing up because there's a health risk, people's properties are at stake -- this is wrong from so many angles that people are now standing up."
Although Devine meant it figuratively, people were in fact standing up in yesterday's session, as almost all seats were filled at the packed community centre. It was a similar presentation to the one given to a crowded Capitol Theatre in Moncton in late March, highlighting the potential health and environmental risks of uranium mining. Much like the presentation at Capitol Theatre, and much to the disdain of some members of the crowd, no representatives from the current provincial government were in attendance.
The Department of Natural Resources has indicated they will look towards setting up public information sessions in the future, although no dates or locations have thus far been announced.
In the meantime, Devine will look to continue to pass on the message of the potential health and environmental impacts of uranium mining. She is scheduled to make a presentation tonight at both Dieppe and Riverview councils and has upcoming presentations planned in Irishtown, Big Cove, Albert County and Sussex.
After the formal presentation was complete, the floor was opened up to the public to make comments or pose questions.
Maria Robichaud, a grandmother from Sainte-Marie-de-Kent said she was concerned of the future of her grandchildren and encouraged everyone in attendance to "hold hands, keep working together and we'll win this."
Charles Edwards of Irishtown attended the meeting at Capitol Theatre and also lives in one of the areas which is currently undergoing test drilling. Not content to sit idly by, Edwards crafted bright signs with the message "No Uranium Mine", which were available to those interested at yesterday's session.
"We can't just stand around and watch this happens, so we decided we could show how we could band together through the signs," he said, noting he will also look to start a letter campaign voicing protest. "The most important thing is the people that represent us in government are there because we voted them in. They're there to carry out our wishes. This is one way to tell them what our wishes are. It's a way to vocalize it as a community in a positive way."
Kent South MLA Claude Williams was in attendance and said he has received a number of complaints and concerns about uranium exploration. Williams added that he wishes government would do its part to either call a moratorium on uranium exploration or help ease the public fears.
"Why are they not coming out and going into communities and explaining the other side?" he said. "The government has a responsibility to go out and reassure the people of New Brunswick, but right now that's not happening, they're just encouraging the activity to go on."
Williams told those in attendance that he planned to table a motion to the current Liberal government to request a moratorium on uranium exploration.
It's a request that could fall on deaf ears, as Environment Minister Roland Haché has already publicly stated he has no problems with uranium exploration and representatives from DNR have said they believe in the process and it should be allowed to continue.
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