AEHI plays dirty (in a good way):
(there's a cool video link there too to the TV news story)
Nuclear Power Job Fair Draws Criticism
April 22, 2009 09:45 PM PDT
A job fair for a proposed nuclear power plant in Elmore County is being called dirty politics by opponents of the plant. The job fair was held right before a rezoning hearing on the plant.
A line of people handed in résumés or took home applications for the plant that's proposed on farm land near the Snake River in the county. Those people were encouraged to show their support in the zoning meeting. "It's kind of a false hope in our opinion to get out here in an economic crises and offer hard working jobs that really aren't there," Andrea Shipley Executive director of the Snake River Alliance said.
The plant promises 5,000 jobs if approved. Many people showed up to the hearing for the same reasons, "A job mostly, I've been unemployed since June of last year," One job seeker told Today's 6. Many also signed a petition in support of the power plant before they packed into the meeting.
Alternative Energy Holdings Incorporated is behind the plant proposal. "We're going to need to fill jobs very, very soon," Company Spokeswoman Jennifer Ransom said about when the hiring would actually take place. The company is trying to see what kind of hiring pool they would have. They figure if they get approval from the council it would be months before some work could start on the grounds. "We can start developing the land right away as far as digging ponds, developing roads and all of that," Ransom said.
If that approval will come is still up in the air. Elmore County commissioners are now deliberating the decision after several hours of public testimony.
