PINEHOUSE: Council of Canadians Opposes Nuclear Waste Dump

[Oscar]

Council of Canadians Opposes Nuclear Waste Dump in Saskatchewan

Several articles from the Council of Canadians' website:

Council chapters oppose nuclear waste dump in Saskatchewan - February 22, 2011 - Patterson
[ http://canadians.org/node/6949 ]
The Toronto Star reports that, “Ottawa (is looking for) long-term solutions for the country's nuclear waste (and) wants to build an underground mausoleum for millions of spent radioactive bundles that power nuclear plants in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. ...In the ongoing search for a nuclear waste site (to store about two million highly radioactive bundles at a single site)...the federal government is paying close attention to public opinion (and has detected some openness for such a site) in New Brunswick
and Saskatchewan."
“The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) kicked off a process last spring to find a community willing to host an underground complex that would serve as a storage dump for all the country's nuclear waste. …Obtained by The Canadian Press through Access to Information laws, (a NWMO) document summarizes public opinion in the four provinces that have nuclear-related industries and are the most likely sites of the underground repository. …(While noting opposition in Quebec), the report cited a more receptive climate for the multibillion-dollar project in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.”
“The NWMO says seven communities across the country have formally expressed interest in hosting the underground repository: Creighton, English River First Nation and Pinehouse in Saskatchewan, and Ear Falls, Ignace, Schreiber and Hornepayne in Ontario. But these communities have only just reached the second stage of a nine-step process that will ultimately decide the repository's location. At this point, they are entitled to receive information about what the project entails and are then vetted for suitability. …But before moving forward, officials will check the suitability of communities against criteria that could rule them out — including the presence of groundwater, fault lines or natural resources.”
“(NWMO communications manager Mike) Krizanic (has said that the) process was designed to incorporate as much input as possible from a wide variety of sources. This includes towns through which nuclear waste would pass on its way to the repository, and aboriginal groups whose treaties may be affected by the repository's construction.”
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Walk against nuclear waste to challenge NWMO - July 8, 2011 – Harris
[ http://canadians.org/node/3340 ]
Individuals in Northern Saskatchewan opposed to efforts by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to site a long-term nuclear waste depository in northern Saskatchewan are gearing up for a summer of action to move towards a legislated ban on nuclear waste in the province.
The Committee for Future Generations has announced a walk against nuclear waste, departing on July 27 from the community of Pinehouse for the provincial legislature in Regina. The 820 kilometre walk, which will pass through Bouval, Green Lake, Big River, Prince Albert and Saskatoon on its way to the capital, is intended to raise awareness of this critical issue as
well as to collect signatures on the committee's petition calling for a legislated waste ban.
The walk will kick off in Pinehouse with a forum on nuclear waste on July 26, featuring Francois Paulette, who is well known for his work to protect treaty and aboriginal rights in Canada, having served on the National Indian Brotherhood Treaty Implementation Committee, Assembly of First Nations Renewal Commission & Parks Canada Aboriginal Consultative Committee.
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Métis Nation of Saskatchewan passes resolution opposing nuclear waste - November 8, 2011 – Harris
[ http://canadians.org/node/3346 ]
The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has passed a resolution to "oppose and prohibit the storage and transportation of high level toxic nuclear waste in Saskatchewan."
The resolution, which was presented at the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan's November 5 annual general meeting by President of Fish Lake Métis Local 108 Bryan Lee, garnered the support of about two-thirds of attendees.
The resolution is the latest move by aboriginal and northern communities in Saskatchewan in opposition to attempts by the industry-based Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to find a "willing community" to site a long-term nuclear waste dump in Saskatchewan.
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'Collaboration Agreement' with uranium giants sparks opposition in northern Saskatchewan - December 3, 2012 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/node/3354 ]
Revelations last week that the northern Saskatchewan community of Pinehouse is set to sign a so-called "collaboration agreement" with uranium giants Cameco and Areva have sparked outrage in the community due to terms of the agreement that residents say is a blatant attempt to silence opposition to the expansion of uranium mining in the area.
A summary of the agreement, obtained by the Committee for Future Generations, contains a number of alarming terms, including that "Under the Collaboration Agreement, Pinehouse is expected to fully support Cameco/Areva's mining," including existing operations, proposed projects, and, incredibly, even future operations.
Perhaps most alarming, however, are the terms which aim to silence voices opposed to expanded uranium development. The two terms, contained under the section "Other Promises," state that Pinehouse promises to "Not make statements or say things in public or to any government, business agency that opposes Cameco/Areva's mining operations" and "Make reasonable efforts to ensure Pinehouse members do not say or do anything that interferes with or delays Cameco/Areva's mining, or do or say anything that is not consistent with Pinehouse's promises under the Collaboration Agreement."
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Take action to support Pinehouse residents fighting uranium gag agreement - December 7, 2012 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/node/3355 ]
As a blog earlier this week pointed out, revelations last week that the northern Saskatchewan community of Pinehouse is set to sign a so-called “collaboration agreement” with uranium giants Cameco and Areva have sparked outrage in the community. Residents opposed to the deal say there has been almost no consultation in the community about the agreement and its controversial terms aimed at silencing opposition to uranium expansion.
Residents of Pinehouse who are opposed to the deal are asking for actions in solidarity to delay the signing of the agreement, which could come as early as next week, until adequate community consultation has taken place and the controversial gag-order terms of the agreement are removed.
Here's the support that Pinehouse residents are asking for:
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'For the avoidance of any doubt': Pinehouse signs 'collaboration agreement' with Cameco/Areva - December 17, 2012 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/node/3357 ]
Despite opposition from residents in the northern Saskatchewan village of Pinehouse, a controversial "collaboration agreement" has been signed, committing Pinehouse to support uranium giants Cameco and Areva's mining operations in the region in exchange for monetary payments and promises of preferential workforce and business development opportunities in Pinehouse .
The agreement between Pinehouse, the Kineepik Metis Nation of Saskatchewan Local #9, and Cameco and Areva was signed in Pinehouse at a December 12 ceremony, despite the fact that most residents had seen only a summary of the agreement, and many were opposed to controversial terms which they said amounted to a "gag order" on opposition to expanded uranium mines in the area.
The morning before the agreement was finalized, residents called for a delay in the signing of the agreement to give adequate time for legitimate consultation. Pinehouse resident John Smerek said, "There are a lot of questions about the agreement in the community, and we’re being told that a confidentiality clause means we can’t get the answers we need from our
administration. To us, it’s a simple issue of democracy. People have a right to see what’s in an agreement before it’s signed, not after. But even though we’ve asked to see the agreement and to have input, the residents here have been totally shut out of the process.”
Despite the agreement being signed, there are indications that the fightback in the community was successful in removing some of the more egregious terms contained in the original summary document shown to residents on November 13.
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World Future Council statement against nuclear power - July 16, 2013 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/content/world-futu ... lear-power ]
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow is a member of the World Future Council, which has just issued a statement calling for nuclear power to be abandoned. The respected, independent body founded in Hamburg that 'speaks on behalf of policy solutions that serve the interests of future generations' expressed its "categorical condemnation of the continuing use and expansion of nuclear power as an energy source for humanity. The catastrophic effects of the meltdown of nuclear reactors or the release of high level nuclear waste from on-site spent fuel storage pools -- whether by accident, act of war, terrorism or a natural phenomenon -- can never be adequately treated and will leave an unbearable inheritance to future
generations."
They highlight, "Nuclear energy is prone to insolvable infrastructural, economic, social, health, ecological, and security problems. It also requires immense capital expenditures and governmental subsidies; faces rising uranium fuel prices; and creates significant lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy, by contrast, reduces dependence on foreign
sources of uranium and decentralizes electricity supply so that an outage would have only limited impact on any society."
The Council of Canadians shares the same concerns as the World Future Council.

Council of Canadians statement on nuclear power and uranium mining

The Council of Canadians rejects nuclear power because it poses an unacceptable risk to people and the environment. It is neither clean safe peaceful nor economic. We are opposed to the further expansion of nuclear power in our country. Faced with climate change and diminishing energy resources globally we recognize the need for a just transition away from a fossil fuel and nuclear dependent society while ensuring Canadians access to basic energy needs to sustainable publicly funded and publicly delivered energy alternatives that benefit both workers and their communities. We support renewable non-invasive energy sources (such as solar and wind power) energy efficiency and conservation. Nuclear power also requires uranium the mining of which creates toxic tailings poses water contamination and other environmental risks and health hazards. The Council of Canadians calls for a ban on all uranium exploration and mining strengthening of legislation to ensure that any exploration or mining of other materials does not disturb or uncover uranium deposits and fair just transition programs for all communities and workers involved in the uranium mining industry. - Adopted by the Board of Directors October 31, 2008.

The World Future Council statement can be read in full at
[ http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/nucle ... t2013.html ]

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Pinehouse and English River removed from nuclear waste dump shortlist - November 21, 2013 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/blog/pinehouse-and ... -shortlist ]
Anti-nuclear waste activists in the northern Saskatchewan communities of Pinehouse and English River First Nation today scored a major victory when the two communities were dropped from the site selection process being conducted by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.
"In November 2013 the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) completed the first phase of preliminary assessment in collaboration with eight of the 21 communities," reads the NWMO page on the first phase of the site selection process. "Creighton in Saskatchewan, and Ignace, Hornepayne and Schreiber in Ontario, were assessed as having strong potential to meet site selection requirements and have been identified for further study. The communities of English River First Nation and Pinehouse in Saskatchewan, and Ear Falls and Wawa in Ontario, were not selected for more detailed study.
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Prince Albert chapter works for sustainable energy, against nuclear waste dumps - March 11, 2014 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/blog/prince-albert ... aste-dumps ]
The Prince Albert Daily Herald reports, "Since its formation in 2009, Renewable Power -- The Intelligent Choice (RPIC) has been at the forefront of the fight for sustainable energy in Prince Albert and area."
"As RPIC members began to plan out their spring agenda at Monday’s meeting, the group’s partnership with the Council of Canadians illustrated how such organizations are pooling their resources to attract the widest possible audience. In the coming months, RPIC plans to throw its support behind the Council’s planned activities for World Water Day and Earth Day, which take place respectively on March 22 and April 22." The article also notes that like the Council of Canadians, RPIC seeking to "attract younger generations to the cause".
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Council of Canadians supports the "Declaration of the World Uranium Symposium" - April 23, 2015 - Harris
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... -symposium ]
The Declaration of the World Uranium Symposium calls on all nations to put an end to the mining and use of uranium.
A media release notes, "It is a call to action, urging governments to ban the mining and processing of uranium, to eliminate the use of nuclear energy, and to renounce nuclear weapons. ...Some 300 experts, members of civil society and indigenous peoples from around the world, meeting recently at the Symposium in Quebec City, launched this global appeal."
The demands in the declaration include:
• We demand a worldwide ban on uranium exploration, mining, milling and processing, as well as the reprocessing of nuclear waste, and the irresponsible management of radioactive waste;
• We call on all states, authorities and Peoples to recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples including the right to self-determination and to free prior and informed consent achieved through an independent, fair, transparent and impartial process, and to cease the pursuit of uranium- and nuclear-related activities on Indigenous Peoples’ lands in violation of these rights;
• We demand that all states, authorities and Peoples phase out and eliminate nuclear power generation and use, and dedicate themselves to the development and use of intelligent energy services based on sustainable, safe and renewable energy resources.
The Council of Canadians endorses this declaration.
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