Good morning.
I am not a regular member of the Committee, but I represent the Berthier—Maskinongé riding, which includes part of the Trois-Rivières area. We are looking into the refurbishment of Gentilly. It is a source of concern for the population in my riding as well as that of Ms. Brunelle. I shall mention some of those concerns.
On the one hand, people say that the CANDU system is outdated, obsolete, not adapted to future requirements and that it should be replaced by a better nuclear reactor. On the other hand, there is the whole issue of nuclear waste management which has been raised publicly. The Quebec National Assembly, for instance, has passed a resolution stating that the province of Quebec will not accept the nuclear waste of other provinces. We shall manage our own which represents about 5.44% of the waste we are producing now. This is a source of concern.
On a third level, that of public health, substances like nitrium are infiltrating the water table causing health problems such as cancer in young children and so on.
There are also some concerns related to the cost of nuclear energy. As you are aware, we produce mainly hydroelectric energy. The Gentilly system would only supply about 3% of our electricity. Alternatively, other people suggest that we should keep our expertise in the nuclear field.
Mr. Nash, you are saying that each province will have something to say about nuclear management and that each will have to agree with the federal government on the issue of nuclear waste management. What do you think of the Quebec National Assembly's decision of refusing to take part in nuclear waste management, in the burial of nuclear waste? Will it cause you to automatically exclude the province of Quebec from your nuclear waste management plan?