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Competition Bureau asked to address nuclear industry’s false and misleading claims of “clean” and “non-emitting” energy.

Ottawa, 16 October 2024 .-
A complaint to the Competition Bureau under Section 9 of the Competition Act was presented this Tuesday by seven Canadian citizens from environmental organizations, asking the Bureau to take action to stop the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) and its members from falsely promoting nuclear energy as “clean” and “non-emitting”.

The complaint demonstrates that the CNA claims are false and misleading because of nuclear energy’s constant emission of large quantities of Group 1 carcinogenic liquids and gases, and its production of toxic radioactive byproducts and wastes which long outlive fuel production and energy generation, burdening current and future generations with safety and health risks.

This new complaint follows an earlier one presented in February of this year by the same applicants, which the Competition Bureau dismissed stating that CNA claims of “clean” and “non-emitting” nuclear energy were “political statements” and were therefore not a priority for the Bureau. This complaint makes it clear that the alleged false and misleading claims by the CNA are promotional in nature, aimed at portraying a “clean” image to the broadest public. The industry directly targets children with its teachnuclear.ca learning modules designed for schools, teachers and students.


The “clean” image appears intended to generate public support for nuclear energy despite its high costs and toxic emissions. It is also a necessary step to gain access to public funds earmarked for clean energy options. This false image provides an unfair advantage over cheaper and cleaner renewable options in the national electricity supply market, currently valued at approximately $50 billion/year and growing.

Quotes:

“Recently strengthened legislation against “greenwashing” should prompt the Competition Bureau to find against the misuse of terms like “clean” and “non-emitting”. These false and misleading claims are repeated and amplified by ill-informed government officials.” – Dr. Ole Hendrickson.


“The constant emission of large amounts of carcinogenic gases and liquids by Canadian nuclear reactors, and the production of extremely long-lived radioactive wastes that remain far beyond energy production, make it impossible to consider nuclear energy clean or non-emitting.” – J. P. Unger, science writer and policy analyst. “The only way an energy source as dirty and dangerous as nuclear energy can compete is by convincing the public it’s a safe environmental choice and gaining its support for large subsidies and license to pollute.”

A copy of the complaint submitted to the Competition Bureau can be obtained at the following link: https://www.ccnr.org/Competition_Bureau_submission_Oct_15_2024.pdf

October 17, 2024 - Posted by | Uncategorized

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