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Quebec to close down its nuclear reactor

Quebec will close, rather than refurbish, its only nuclear reactor. Montreal Gazette, 12 Set 12, Nearly 30 years after it went into operation, it appears the days are numbered for Quebec’s only operating nuclear power plant.

A spokesperson for the Parti Québécois said the newly-elected government will go ahead with a plan to close Gentilly-2 in Bécancour. The party has wanted to do it since December 2009, Éric Gamache said….

. Gordon Edwards, a mathematician and president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, said after it is closed, Gentilly-2 could be transformed into a centre of expertise on dismantling nuclear power plants. Nearly 100 nuclear power plants in
the U.S. will soon come to the end of their natural life, creating a “great” opportunity for Trois-Rivières, he said. http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/09/12/parti-quebecois-says-it-will-keep-promise-to-close-gentilly-2-nuclear-power-plant/

September 13, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, Canada, decommission reactor, employment | Leave a comment

Where to put Canada’s 2358873 radioactive used nuclear fuel bundles?

Nuclear waste seeks a home The Star.com  September 01, 2012“………A fuel bundle for a Candu nuclear power reactor is about the size of a fireplace log. As of June 30, 2011, Canada had 2,273,873 used fuel bundles stored at its nuclear plants in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.

Another 85,000 or so have been added since then.

In total, they’d fill about six NHL hockey rinks, stacked up as high
as the boards.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization, formed by the three electric utilities that run nuclear reactors, wants to bury the waste deep underground in caverns excavated from stable rock, where it can lie undisturbed forever.

The depth will probably depend on the site’s geology. A facility proposed to hold less-potent radioactive waste at the Bruce nuclear site near Kincardine will be 680 metres deep. By comparison, the CN Tower is 553 metres tall.

The NWMO is looking for a “willing” community to agree to take the $16-to-$24-billion project. The host community itself will decide how to define “willing.” Candidate communities will have multiple opportunities to withdraw if they get cold feet, the NWMO says.

As it moves through a nine-stage selection process, the NWMO hopes to have narrowed the field to one or two communities by 2015, then spend until about 2020 deciding on a specific site within the chosen community.

After that, it will take three to five years to do an extensive environmental assessment of the site. The proponents will also have to satisfy the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission that their plan makes sense, and obtain a license to construct and operate the facility.

Then, it will take six to 10 years to build. The NWMO doesn’t expect the first bundles to be stored until 2035…. http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1250109–nuclear-waste-seeks-a-home#.UEH_alKdoKU.twitter

September 3, 2012 Posted by | Canada, wastes | 1 Comment

Canada’s Liberal Party being secretive about plans for uranium mining in Quebec

Uranium, asbestos, metros and a boat colour campaign quarrels   http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/uranium-asbestos-metros-and-a-boat-colour-campaign-quarrels-1.934969#ixzz259lPPD00  Aug. 29, 2012 MONTREAL – The three major parties were out hustling for votes on day 29 of the election campaign, but it was one of the smaller groups that was on the attack Wednesday.

The tiny Quebec Solidaire was on the offensive against the Liberals’ Northern Plan, which, it says, involves inadequately disclosed plans to mine uranium.
QS co-spokesman and Mercier MNA Amir Khadir said that the extension of Highway 167, financed mostly by the province, is aimed at helping extract and transport uranium, as is a railroad to Kuujjuaq, partially funded by the Caisse de depot.

Khadir argued that the Liberals have presented the Northern Plan as a method to mine gold and diamonds as well as other safer goods…..

August 31, 2012 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington nuclear station polluting Lake Ontario

 Darlington takes its cooling water directly from Lake Ontario and in so doing sucks up and kills millions of fish annually.  The station’s hot, chemical laden waste water is then dumped back into Lake Ontario.

Protect Lake Ontario: Stop Darlington Greenpeace Canada by Shawn-Patrick Stensil – August 24, 2012   Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington nuclear station has been killing millions of fish every year, in contravention of federal environmental law. You can help stop this.
At public hearings in 2011, a representative from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) admitted that OPG had been operating Darlington in contravention of the Fisheries Act for years.  So while aware that Darlington was flouting the law, DFO did nothing to enforce the Fisheries Act, which is intended to protect fish and fish habitat.
This has caused a great deal of harm to Lake Ontario.
Nuclear stations need massive amounts of water to prevent the reactor core from overheating and causing an accident.
This is why people visualize large cooling towers emitting steam when they think of nuclear stations.  Cooling towers are installed to protect aquatic ecosystems.  They allow cooling water to be recycled instead of continually sucked from a lake.
The Darlington nuclear station is a dirty exception. Continue reading →

August 27, 2012 Posted by | Canada, environment | Leave a comment

Can we trust Nuclear Regulatory Commission to study radiation risks?

Nuclear Regulatory Commission may study power plant health risks Agency considers conducting a large-scale epidemiological study of whether living near a nuclear power plant, such as San Onofre,  raises health risks. Doing so would pose major challenges.By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times August 18, 2012,  
The last time federal officials assessed cancer rates in the communities surrounding nuclear power plants, they concluded that radiation releases were insignificant and health risks, if any, were too small to measure.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissionhas been relying on the results of that 1990 National Cancer Institute study ever since to inform the public about cancer risks posed by the 104 licensed reactors it governs nationwide.

Now, in response to growing concerns that using uranium in the production of electrical energy may be dangerous even without accidents, the NRC is trying to decide if it should launch one of the largest epidemiological studies ever conducted to determine if it is a
health risk to live near a nuclear facility — such as the San Onofre plant in north San Diego County….. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0818-sanonofre-cancer-20120819,0,3382517.story

August 20, 2012 Posted by | Canada, health | Leave a comment

Permanent ban on uranium determined by James Bay Cree Nation

James Bay Cree Nation enacts permanent uranium moratorium in James Bay territory, The First Perspective (Canada)   Crees “determined to protect our way of life against the unique and grave threat posed by uranium mining and waste, today and for thousands of years to come”. Waskaganish, QC, Aug. 9, 2012 – The James Bay Cree Nation has declared a Permanent Moratorium on uranium exploration, uranium mining and uranium waste emplacement in Eeyou Istchee, the James Bay Cree territory. The permanent moratorium was enacted unanimously by the Annual Cree Nation General Assembly in Waskaganish.

“The risks inherent in uranium exploration, mining, milling, refining and transport, and in radioactive and toxic uranium mining waste, are incompatible with our stewardship responsibilities in Eeyou Istchee,” the Resolution declares.
“The Cree Nation is determined to protect our economies and way of life against the unique and grave threat posed by uranium mining and uranium waste, today and for thousands of years to come,” said Grand Chief Dr. Matthew Coon Come. “We are not opposed to sustainable and equitable mining and other industrial and resource development activities in Eeyou Istchee – but the toxic and radiation risks created by uranium mining and uranium waste are unique in scale and duration.” Continue reading →

August 11, 2012 Posted by | Canada, indigenous issues | Leave a comment

« Canadian Nuclear Expert: Reactor is releasing 200 trillion becquerels of tritium every year — Becomes a part of your body and all living things — Gives off beta particles which produce damage that can result in cancer (AUDIO)
http://enenews.com/govt-releases-last-years-tests-contamination-detected-sea-japan-airborne-material-blamed-includes-niigata-shizuoka-iwate
  July 2012: Fukushima Man has 20,000 becquerels of cesium in body —
Wife has 10,000 Bq »
Gov’t Releases Last Year’s Tests: “Contamination detected even in the
Sea of Japan” — “Airborne material” blamed — Includes Niigata,
Shizuoka, and Iwate

August 5th, 2012
By ENENews
Title: Radioactive cesium found off of Niigata, Shizuoka, Iwate
coasts: gov’t study
Source: Mainichi
Date: August 4, 2012
Radioactive cesium likely from the Fukushima nuclear disaster was
detected last year in a survey of ocean waters and fish off Niigata,
Shizuoka, and Iwate prefectures, the government announced on Aug. 3.
“Even if taken internally, the radiation levels detected are not a
risk to human health,” the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology stated. The ministry added it believes the
small amount of contamination detected even in the Sea of Japan off
Niigata was probably originally airborne material that made it to
coastal waters through rain and river courses.

[…] […]

Test results:
In May last year that there were 9.1 millibecquerels of radioactive
cesium per liter of seawater off Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture
In December, the survey found two becquerels per kilogram in a type of
flounder in [Shizuoka]
In May last year, the survey found dried sea floor dirt from the
southeast of Sado Island […] was contaminated with 31 becquerels of
cesium per kilogram
In the ocean off Yamada, Iwate Prefecture […] 0.7 becquerels per
liter of seawater were detected in May 2011

August 8, 2012 Posted by | Canada, health | Leave a comment

Canada’s govt landing tax-payers with unnecessary nuclear power costs

Greens want Ontario nuclear costs reviewed  BY JONATHAN JENKINS    Toronto Sun,  JULY 12, 2012   TORONTO – Ontario’s Green Party is asking for an independent review of all nuclear costs in Ontario.

“Protecting our pocketbooks from nuclear cost overruns is clearly not a priority for the McGuinty government,” Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said in a news release.

“Every nuclear project in Ontario’s history has gone over budget. It’s an irresponsible waste of our money to pay $26 million for the nuclear industry to study their own costs.”….

Ontario suspended plans to build the two new reactors in 2009 after costs estimate from three companies — Westinghouse, Candu and Areva — came in far above what the government had been expecting.

But now that Bentley is restarting the process by paying Westinghouse and Candu to submit estimates, New Democrat energy critic Peter Tabuns called the expense “just crazy”.

“Giving people tens of millions of dollars just to prepare a bid on a contract, I just don’t think is reasonable,” Tabuns said. “OPG is a big sophisticated organization with its own staff. They can do their own analysis.”

Ontario now has a surplus of electrical generation and running what it has is very expensive, Tabuns said. Building more nuclear now — even if it’s just to replace aging units at Pickering — risks blowing the budget.

“Why would we go back to a mid-twentieth century technology?” he said.“Whatever they put forward (on cost), double it. If they’re saying $10 to $14 billion, then it’s probably going to be $20 to $30 billion.” http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/12/greens-want-ontario-nuclear-costs-reviewed

July 13, 2012 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

$26 million just to find out how much 2 nuclear reactors might cost

TORONTO – It’s like giving the cashier at Tim Hortons a penny to find out how much a cup of coffee costs.CNews 11 July 12,
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has agreed to pay two prospective reactor builders $26 million to come up with an estimate on how much two new nuclear reactors at the Darlington Generating Station would cost, Energy Minister Chris Bentley told a Queen’s Park committee
Wednesday. Continue reading →

July 12, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, Canada | Leave a comment

Workers exposed to airborne uranium, due to pressurised yellowcake containers

Pressurized drums create yellowcake uranium hazard, NRC says By Todd Sperry, CNN Senior Producer July 11, 2012 – Washington (CNN) — After three Canadian employees were exposed to yellowcake uranium last month when a lid blew off a pressurized 55-gallon drum, a uranium mining company has informed U.S. nuclear regulatory officials it has found additional drums possibly susceptible to the same problem, CNN has learned..

.. The NRC and
Canadian nuclear officials are investigating drums shipped from a Willow Creek, Wyoming, mining facility operated by Uranium One to an Ontario processing plant where workers opened them, including the one that ejected the powder. The three employees were overcome by a cloud of yellowcake uranium that had unexpectedly become pressurized.
The worker closest to the drum and two others in the area, who were not wearing respirators, were exposed to airborne uranium, according to the NRC..

… Yellowcake is the byproduct of uranium ore that is mined, crushed and milled until concentrated. It is a key component in manufacturing uranium fuel for nuclear reactors.
NRC officials gave Uranium One until this week to identify whether any other drums had become pressurized during manufacture or shipment…… Other drums shipped to the Canadian facility containing yellowcake were found to be bulging from internal pressure, the NRC said.

July 12, 2012 Posted by | Canada, incidents, Uranium | Leave a comment

Strike and problem of decaying concrete at Canada’s nuclear power plants

those employees should also be demanding safety in their workplace as well. At least one Candu plant – Gentilly-2 in Quebec – is decaying .

The plant is one of many that regulators say is operating well past its expected life of 25 to 30 years

Major Problems Facing Canada’s Nuclear Sector http://www.care2.com/causes/major-problems-facing-canadas-nuclear-sector.html#ixzz20GmGP3Pi by Amy Boughner July 9, 2012 Canada’s nuclear industry is once again facing major issues. More than 800 Candu Energy employees  are on strike as of the morning of July 9, looking for higher wages. The scientists, engineers and technologists work at Candu plants in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Continue reading →

July 10, 2012 Posted by | Canada, employment, safety | Leave a comment

Decaying concrete a problem for aging nuclear power plants

concrete degradation has surfaced in the reactor containment buildings of three U.S. nuclear power stations. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently warned operators there that design strengths and assumptions used in original containment building design plans “may no longer hold true,” if ASR and its telltale cracks and fissures are present.

Decaying concrete raising concerns at Canada’s aging nuclear plants, National Post Ian MacLeod, Postmedia News  Jul 8, 2012 Decaying concrete at nuclear power plants is the latest concern for nuclear safety authorities.

At Quebec’s sole atomic power station, Gentilly-2, eroding concrete has prompted federal licensing officials to suggest that any provincial attempt to refurbish and re-license the 30-year-old plant must satisfy federal concerns over the aging concrete’s ability to stand up to another two or three decades of service.

The move comes as economic pressures force nuclear utilities to consider refurbishing their nuclear plants and operating them well past their 25- to 30-year initial lives. Continue reading →

July 9, 2012 Posted by | Canada, safety, USA | Leave a comment

Workers exposed to radioactive uranium

Canadian workers exposed to yellowcake http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/canadian-workers-exposed-to-yellowcake/story-fn3dxix6-1226419628561  July 07, 2012  Three workers at a uranium processing plant in Canada were exposed to radioactive yellowcake when the lid blew off of a bulging container imported from the United States, US nuclear regulatory officials say. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Canada, incidents, Uranium | Leave a comment

Despite previous radioactive spills, Point Lepreau nuclear reactor will not be fully monitored

Point Lepreau has been out of service since March 2008 for a major refurbishment designed to extend the life of the reactor by 25 years. It is scheduled to reopen this fall, three years behind schedule.

Nuclear watchdog unable to closely monitor Point Lepreau Limited resources prevent full oversight, says senior staffer CBC News Jun 21, 2012  Senior staff at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission say the regulatory body is unable to monitor the refurbishment and pending restart of New Brunswick’s Point Lepreau nuclear generating station as closely as it would like. He was answering questions about a recent heavy water spill at Lepreau, which is located in west Saint John. Continue reading →

June 22, 2012 Posted by | Canada, safety | Leave a comment

Pro uranium mining bias in Nunuvat’s supposedly independent report

“It is not clear why the GN chose to have its background document prepared by Golder and Associates, a consultancy that depends on the mining industry (including uranium mining), rather than either developing it internally or seeking an independent consultant,”

Nunavut group says uranium policy process biased, Questions hiring of consultant with mining industry clients CBC News Jun 8, 2012   A Nunavut group opposed to uranium mining says the territorial government’s consultation process for forming its official uranium policy , which supports mining — with conditions, was biased. Continue reading →

June 11, 2012 Posted by | Canada, Religion and ethics | Leave a comment

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