A member of America's most well known families had some choice words about Saskatchewan's dependance on coal power.

Robert F. Kennedy Junior, nephew of former U.S President John F. Kennedy, says the province is ideal for wind and solar power, but it's not being utilized. He was speaking to a delegation from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations at Prairieland Park today (Mon).

He called coal power the most catastrophically expensive form of energy ever devised, for both it's impact on taxpayers financially and the environmental impact.

One in particular is the amount of mercury released from coal burning power plants, which he says has a large impact on the fish population. "This is one of the costs of coal that (coal producers) don't tell you about when they say it's 11 cents a kilowatt hour. I would bet you that every fish in Saskatchewan has dangerous levels of mercury in its flesh, because of coal burning power plants."

Saskatchewan is one of the most coal dependant regions per capita in North America.

Kennedy is currently serving as a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council in America.

[ED Sep 24/12]