Postmedia News reports this evening that, “Canada’s nuclear energy and materials watchdog is defending its controversial decision to grant a one-year licence allowing shipments of massive decommissioned nuclear steam generators, saying any risk associated with the materials is negligible. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission came under fire last week when it quietly approved the plan for Bruce Power, the country’s only private nuclear operator, to ship 16 of the 100-tonne school-bus-sized pieces through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, then across the Atlantic Ocean to a recycling plant in Sweden.”
“Opposition to the plan has been vocal. ‘They’re saying it’s low level, but there’s a lot of generators,’ said Emma Lui, the national water campaigner with the Council of Canadians. ‘If there’s an accident with more than one generator, then the water will be contaminated.’ …Lui acknowledged the commission held public consultations before issuing a decision. But, she said, they must not have listened to the complaints. ‘There’s a lot of opposition in communities to this shipment,’ she said. ‘A lot of these communities don’t want this to go through, but they’re still going ahead with them.’”
“The commission’s decision can only be appealed to the Federal Court of Canada.”
The Vancouver Sun article is at http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Nuclear+shipment+cause+alarm+Canadian+commission+says/4268470/story.html.
