LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Another view of the Roman Empire

Your review (T.N.M., Nov. 26/90) of The Roman Empire reflects the view of the book’s author, Paul McKay, who obviously has omitted some facts. Thus your article reveals that the book was written with an unfavorable bias against the late Mr. Roman. A report to the U.S. Federal Radiation Council by Arthus D. Little Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., in 1970 stated: “A price rise of 50 cents per lb. of U308 leads to less than 1% increase in nuclear electricity costs. The increase would translate into about 0.14% increase to the average residential consumer. The effect on the cost of electricity on all consumers is less than 0.18%.” The cost of the fuel, therefore, is not a significant item in the cost of generating electricity.

What is significant is that all public utilities must have contracts that ensure them of a long-term supply of their fuel requirements.

Another fact bearing on the business of that era was that by government order a percentage of all uranium reserves must be kept for Canadian fuel requirements.

All this prompted Ontario Hydro to consider going into the Uranium Mining Business. Originally, there were 11 mines in Elliot Lake, Ont., each with a 5-year contract with different prices for their product (U308).

At the end of the five years, the Americans did not renew their options and eventually the mines that were closed all passed to the control or ownership of both Denison Mines and Rio Algom Mines. Rio Algom had more of them than Denison. Ontario Hydro studied the possibility of reopening these several mines with their own mining company to produce their own supply of nuclear fuel.

The so-called “Gold-Plated Giveaway” was actually a wise choice for Hydro to contract this operation to experienced operators Denison and Rio Algom which had the expertise to operate efficiently.

Certainly, Denison and Mr. Roman could not have been the lone instigators of that deal. It should not be forgotten either that at that time the high-grade deposits in Saskatchewan had not reached their full potential.

There is no doubt that Mr. Roman was a many-sided person and not all the sides were bad. There are those who should and could defend him much better than I. It is just my opinion that any person’s biography should be a complete one and should not be concentrated on just one aspect of that person’s life. R.W. Thompkins Emeritus professor, mining engineering Queen’s University