Bourgeois Story

Eugene Bourgeois is an Inverhuron, Ontario sheep farmer, wool products entrepreneur, author and philosopher.  He is also the next door neighbour to the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.  On several occasions since 1985, Bourgeois, his family and his flock have experienced "fumigation's" of toxic gasses which much evidence suggests have come from the nuclear facility.  Bruce Power, operators of the facility, deny responsibility.  

Bourgeois wants specific safeguards put in place to help protect his family, neighbours, customers and sheep. For two decades, Bourgeois has tried in vein to get the the nuclear plant, the federal government nuclear regulators and the Ontario Ministry of Environment to address his complaints.

Click Here to Read Press Release - this December 29, 2002 press release summarizes Bourgeois' complaint

Click Here to Read the Narrative -  another account with a different slant and more detail in some areas

Click Here to Read Bourgeois' presentation to the ARB - In 1997, Eugene Bourgeois appeared before a hearing of the Ontario Ministry of Finance Assessment Review Board (ARB).  At the hearing, he stated that the timing of regular flare stack emissions and fire drills practiced by the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station too often coincided with known  meteorological phenomena in the immediate area.  These coincidences, he contended, resulted in the fumigation of himself, his family and his farm animals on a number of occasions.  Therefore, he argued, since the real value of his farm had been diminished by the incidents, documented public knowledge of same in newspaper reports and his legal and ethical requirement to disclose same to any potential buyer should he decide to sell the land, the reduction in real should be reflected in the appraised value of the property, and thus in the lowering of taxes. Bourgeois supplied a volume of documents and written correspondence from eminent scientists, medical doctors and researchers which were all placed into evidence in support of his claim.  
The ARB ruled in his favour, and the ruling was upheld, with some adjustment, through appeal.
The text of Bourgeois' presentation contained on this web site includes references to evidence in the form of documents which are available through Bourgeois, the Bruce Centre and/or the archives of the ARB.