nuclear-news

Radioactive shipments: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission did not consult First Nations

The Council of Canadians is calling on the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to hold another public hearing on the matter before renewing Bruce Power’s permits to ship the nuclear waste across the Great Lakes to Sweden.

the CNSC has not fulfilled its duty to consult with First Nations by obtaining free, prior and informed consent.

Bruce Power cannot ship nuclear waste until permit is renewed, Rabble Ca, BY EMMA LUI | DECEMBER 30, 2011 Bruce Power will not be able to ship 16 radioactive steam generators until they renew their permit with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) As of tomorrow, December 31, 2011, the Welland Canal is officially closed to all vessels, preventing Bruce Power from proceeding with the nuclear waste shipment until the spring.

Bruce Power had planned to ship 16 bus-sized radioactive steam generators from Owen Sound, through Lake Huron and Lake Erie, then along the Welland Canal and

through Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The shipment would end up in Sweden where Studsvik, the Swedish company contracted by Bruce Power, would decontaminate the waste in order to sell the scrap metal back onto consumer markets.

On February 4, 2010, Bruce Power had received the necessary CNSC permits to ship the nuclear waste to Sweden. However, the permits are only good for one year and will expire on February 3, 2012 — before the Welland Canal re-opens again for the shipping season. The Canal generally re-opens for shipping sometime in March…..
The Council of Canadians is calling on the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission to hold another public hearing on the matter before
renewing Bruce Power’s permits to ship the nuclear waste across the
Great Lakes to Sweden. The CNSC held a public hearing on September
28-29, 2010. However the CNSC ignored public input and the concerns of
the majority of interveners by issuing the permits despite
interveners’ opposition.
With the Great Lakes as a commons, it is critical that government
departments not only provide an opportunity for the public to provide
input on policies affecting our water sources but also to incorporate
public input into final decisions. …..
Under the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Article
29 (2) notes that: States shall take effective measures to ensure that
no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the
lands or territories of indigenous peoples without their free, prior
and informed consent. The Canadian government endorsed the UNDRIP on
November 12, 2010. However, the CNSC has not fulfilled its duty to
consult with First Nations by obtaining free, prior and informed
consent.
With the recent news that at least one shipment of highly enriched
uranium was transported from the U.S. to Canada without public
knowledge, it is even more critical that the public is consulted on
the transportation of radioactive materials.
With the upcoming expiration of Bruce Power’s permit in February 2012,
the CNSC has the opportunity to protect the Great Lakes as a commons
and to uphold Canada’s obligations under the UNDRIP. If and when Bruce
Power applies for a permit renewal, it is critical that the CNSC hold
another public hearing and actually incorporate public input into
their final decision this time around.
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/making-waves/2011/12/bruce-power-cannot-ship-nuclear-waste-until-permit-renewed

December 31, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, indigenous issues