McNamara: ALBERTA - GO TO THE RALLY!

[Oscar]

ALBERTA - GO TO THE RALLY!!! Last Chance to Send a Message

October 19, 2009

October 27 Rally at the Legislature!

The October 27 anti-nuclear/pro-renewable rally at the Legislature should be expanded to include people who are opposed to the transmission lines being planned by the Alberta government. It is critical that this rally be as large as possible as this is our last chance to send the government a message before they announce their decision on nuclear power in Alberta. Further, it may be the last chance to oppose the transmission lines before Bill 50 gets third reading in the legislature.

Nuclear power and the transmission lines are one and the same issue. They want to build transmission lines to sell the electricity from the nuclear reactors and other dirty energy sources to the United States. Albertans will be picking up the tab for the lines as well as subsidizing the construction of the reactors.

In their 2008 Economic Impact Report, Bruce Power claimed 4 reactors would cost $12 billion. This amount was dwarfed when Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) quoted Ontario a price of $13 billion for each reactor. Four reactors would cost $52 billion or $40 billion more than Bruce Power’s estimate. Albertans will pay these cost overruns in addition to $20 billion for the transmission lines.

Our politicians and regulatory agencies are not protecting us from the economic, health and environmental consequences of these projects. This was driven home this week when the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) released a report on radioactive emissions from Canada’s nuclear reactors that proves Bruce Power has been lying to Peace River Region residents since their first public meeting in early 2008.

The report states that tritium, iodine 131, noble gases, radioactive particulate and carbon 14 are released to the air by EVERY nuclear reactor in Canada. Further, all nuclear reactors release tritium, gross beta-gamma activity and carbon 14 in their liquid waste. The CNSC refers to this group as the “pertinent” releases, but they are not the only radioactive emissions.

Hydro-Quebec documents show that 49 varieties of radioactive material are released to the air by their nuclear reactor. There are 42 radioactive substances released to the water and eight more released to air from the waste storage site.

Bruce Power’s literature and all of their consultants at their open houses stated there were no emissions from the reactors. We informed our elected officials in all three levels of government that Bruce Power was not telling the truth and not one of them did a thing about it. How can residents assess the merits of a project if the proponent is not telling them the truth?

Sadly, our national, provincial and local media have done little to expose the false information Bruce Power is putting out. Maybe now that the CNSC (nuclear regulator) report contradicts Bruce Power’s claims, the media may take our concerns seriously.

The CNSC report is titled: “Radioactive Release Data from Canadian Nuclear Power Plants” (Sept. 2009). The list of emissions from Hydro Quebec is available in French only at: http://www.hydroquebec.com/gentilly-2/p ... ues/2b.pdf

The nuclear industry has not had a good year in Canada. The “nuclear Renaissance” we’ve heard so much about barely has a pulse. It has been one setback after another. Consider:

NEW BRUNSWICK - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) started a 16-month refurbishment of New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau reactor in 2008. In October 2009, AECL announced the project is 16 months behind schedule. Energy Minister Jack Keir estimates this delay will cost New Brunswick taxpayers $800 million in replacement power costs alone. All Canadians will pay AECL’s cost overruns.

NOVA SCOTIA – Nova Scotia enacted laws preventing exploration or mining of uranium in October 2009.

MEDICAL ISOTOPES – AECL shut down their NRU reactor in May 2009 due to heavy water leakage from a storage tank. Their original estimate of three months to repair has turned into ten months. The NRU reactor makes about 40% of the world’s medical isotopes. All Canadians are paying these costs.

MAPLE REACTORS – AECL cancelled the Maple Reactors (to replace the NRU) in 2008 because they couldn’t get them working safely after 19 years of trying. The project wasted $680 million and AECL is being sued for $1.6 billion by MDS Nordion. All Canadians will pay these costs.

ONTARIO REACTORS – Ontario was shocked in June 2009 when AECL quoted $13 billion per reactor. The Ontario government suspended any purchase as they had estimated only $3 billion per reactor. Bruce Power cancelled their planned reactors in Nanticoke and on Lake Huron the same month.

SASKATCHEWAN NUCLEAR – The province held extensive consultations through the first half of 2009 on expanding the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan. The government’s report showed that 84% of respondent opposed any further nuclear development.

ALBERTA NUCLEAR – Alberta’s consultation process was a farce. No public meetings were held nor were any numbers released from the survey they conducted. The district-wide survey conducted by residents in MD 22 showed 85% opposition to nuclear reactors in the Peace River region and throughout Alberta.

AECL – The federal government is preparing to release plans for the break-up and sale of AECL which will effectively end the CANDU reactor program in Canada. AECL has been a $30 billion money pit since it was formed. Taxpayers will be relieved to see it put out of its misery.

Canada’s nuclear renaissance and AECL have collapsed from the weight of a litany of failures, delays, cancelations and exorbitant costs. Surveys in Saskatchewan and Alberta show 85% of residents oppose nuclear development.

It’s time for that 85% to stand up and be counted. The October 27 rally at the Legislature is our last chance to tell the Stelmach government that we don’t want nuclear reactors or the transmission lines.

There is urgency to both issues. If we don’t convince the province to reject nuclear energy, we will be starting a three to four year-long environmental assessment shortly after Christmas. If Bill 50 gets third reading, Alberta taxpayers will be on the hook for $20 billion for transmission lines. GO TO THE RALLY!!.

Pat McNamara
entwork@hotmail.com

"Pat McNamara is a former resident of Port Hope now living in Grande Prairie Alberta"