Quebec's Gentilly-2 nuclear plant shuts down after 29 years

Quebec's sole nuclear power plant will cease production at 10:30 p.m. today after 29 years of generating electricity.

For the next 18 months, a team of 485 workers will decommission the Gentilly-2 power plant, located near Bcancour, Que., about 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

Murielle Masse, spokeswoman for the union that represents over 700 of the plant's employees, said temporary workers will be laid off, but have priority for other employmentby Hydro-Qubec.

If everything goes according to plan, the nuclear plant will be dismantled over a period of 18 months, beginning in January.

Workers will have to discharge the reactor's fuel, treat heavy water and deactivate several systems. The fuel and contaminated water will be transferred to holding pools for seven years.

After these steps, Gentilly-2 will undergo a "sleeping" stage for 40 years. By 2062, the used fuel rods will be removed from the location and the plant will be completely taken apart.

Theplant's closure is expected to cost $1.8 billionover a period of more than 50 years.

A controversial decision

The plant's licence was set to expire this year and refurbishing would have come with a price tag of nearly$4.3 billion, according to Hydro-Qubec. Renewing its licence wouldhave meant the plant could operate for another 30 years.

TheParti Qubcoisgovernment's decision to put an end to the plant sparkedoutrage with the workers' unionand some citizens of Bcancour.

In a report sent to Le Devoir in September, the union said the price to reboot the plant would be $2.4 billion.

Environmental groups applauded the government's decision to shut down the plant, but local politicians and business leaders expressed concernover the effects of the 800 jobs lost.

Michel Fugre, spokesman for the Mauricie's Green Movement, said the closure is a "great gift" and represents "a big day" for all Quebecers.

He pointed out that several polls suggested more than 60 per cent of the population in Quebec's Mauricie region supported the plant's closure.

Jean-Denis Girard, president of the chamber of commerce in Bcancour, said the plant was safe and was producing a substantial amount of energy. Girardsaid he plans to actively oppose the closure until a permit is delivered for the dismantling.

Girard said he would bring cost comparisons toa legislative committee showingLa Romaine hydroelectric project and wind-power plants are less profitable thanthe nuclear plant.

He said Quebec Premier Pauline Marois told him the government's decision was "economic and not ideology."

According to Girard, it will take five years and lots offunds for Hydro-Qubec to downgrade the plantand change its personnel.