On rush jobs

The Globe and Mail's continued coverage of a possible nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan continues to be grossly slanted toward the "pro" side, with the latest article featuring quotes from only two pro-reactor sources. But even they can't help but to point out that the government pushing the process has no idea what's involved.

Here's Brad Wall as quoted on Saturday:

Mr. Wall said he wants to launch a full-speed effort to build a research reactor within two to three years, likely at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
...
Mr. Wall is also hoping for expedited federal regulatory approval, so that construction could commence quickly and the reactor could be up and running in three years.

So how realistic is that time frame? Here's what the two U of S nuclear proponents told the Globe:

There are two meetings this week, the last in a series of public consultations started by the province in May. Assuming the government likes what comes out of that report, it will take at least six to 12 years before the reactor is up and running. It's still to be determined who is going to pay for the reactor, which could be as much as $2-billion.

Now, there are a couple of possible explanations for the difference between the time Wall says it'll take, and the time actually expected by those who know somewhat better. But it's hard to see any of them reflecting well on Wall: either he's completely uninformed about the very projects he's trying to force on the province, or he's willing to cut corners to the point of taking as little as a quarter of the usual required time to get a reactor up and running.

One way or the other, there's every reason for concern that Wall's plans could prove disastrous for the province. And hopefully enough people within Saskatchewan are noticing the flaws in his national message to see the need to push back here at home.

Update: Good to see the NDP is all over Wall's musings.