People unclear on the concept -- #4,740

From The Toronto Star: bq. Nuclear siren plan debated The pressure is on Durham Region politicians to come up with an emergency alerting system for the Pickering nuclear generating station as the licence renewal hearing for its "A" station looms later this month. bq. Forty-six air-raid-style sirens, purchased for $1.6 million more than a year ago for Pickering and Darlington nuclear stations, are gathering dust in an Ajax warehouse while Pickering politicians try to come up with an alternative that doesn't make as much noise. bq. "There is some urgency to get this issue resolved quickly," said Clarington Mayor John Mutton. "The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has asked why we do not have a siren alerting system in place." bq. In Pickering, local opposition to the 27 planned sirens has been strong in the Bay Ridges and West Shore communities, where residents feel the sirens would lower property values and possibly create panic if they ever sounded. (emphasis mine) Excuse me -- if something untoward was happening at a local Nuke plant, I would want the loudest most bad-ass siren available to blast the neighborhood and let people know to get the hell out of there. Something quiet and "polite" might be well and good for the local property values but heaven help the plant if they do need to alert people at 3:00am and 20% of the population doesn't hear their alarm...