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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Shipping dead nuclear reactors across Great Lakes – a dangerous precedent

One of the major concerns is that if this transport goes ahead, it will pave the way for further similar shipments with little government or environment oversight.

Hundreds of municipalities across Ontario, Quebec, U.S. and the U.K. and Sweden have publicly opposed the shipment, citing concerns over the potential for radioactive material to leak into water systems.

Controversial nuclear shipping plan remains on hold Vanvouver Sun, By Linda Nguyen, Postmedia News December 20, 2011 TORONTO — A controversial plan to ship 16 decommissioned nuclear steam generators across Ontario’s Great Lakes and eventually to Sweden for recycling continues to remain on hold, nearly two years after it was first proposed. Continue reading →

December 21, 2011 Posted by | Canada, safety | Leave a comment

The world’s 240,000 tonnes of intensely radioactive civilian waste

Nuclear’s environmental costs No nation has come up with a permanent, safe way to dispose of radioactive waste Montreal Gazette, By IAN MACLEOD, Postmedia News December 17, 2011 “……More than 240,000 tonnes of intensely radioactive civilian waste has piled up around the globe since the dawning of the atomic age.

Sixty years on, no one is sure yet how to safely and permanently dispose of the stuff, much of it harmful to living organisms for thousands of years. Canada’s share of the highlevel heap stands at 44,000 tonnes. Virtually all is spenturanium fuel bundles – 2.3 million of them – that powered the commercial and research reactors that made Canada a leading nuclear nation…..
Spent fuel bundles are just one piece of fallout from the nuclear fuel cycle. Continue reading →

December 19, 2011 Posted by | Canada, wastes | Leave a comment

Stop uranium exploration and all nuclear activities, demand Northern Quebec communities

Northern Quebec Communities Demand End of Uranium Prospecting by
Uracan, MarketWatch, Dec. 18, 2011    “…..All eight municipalities in Minganie, a
region of Northern Quebec, have already voted in favour of a resolution against uranium prospecting on their territory. On November 23rd, the Regional County Municipality of Minganie also adopted a resolution outlawing all uranium-related activities within an area of
50 kilometers north of the coastline. Clearly, there is no social support for uranium mining in Minganie.
Uracan’s drilling sites are located in the area covered by the resolution. This is why we ask that Minister Gignac act immediately and tell Uracan to pack its bags and leave. We will not tolerate more drilling. We demand that the company cease all its activities and move its installations, equipment and machineries elsewhere. If it fails to do so, actions will be taken.

We also ask that Uracan provide compensation to those who have been negatively affected by its activities. Continue reading →

December 19, 2011 Posted by | Canada, politics, Uranium | Leave a comment

Anxiety in Ontario at the prospect of nuclear waste dump

Peabody said Walkerton’s tainted water tragedy a decade ago should be
reason enough to stay out of the radioactive-waste business.

“I would (also) question the wisdom of putting all of Canada’s nuclear
waste beside or close to Lake Huron under some of Canada’s best farm
land.” 

Nuclear waste dump idea sparks unease in Ontario The Canadian Press, Dec. 11, 2011  TORONTO — A community on the shores of Lake Huron has cracked open the door to southern Ontario’s becoming the permanent storage site for Canada’s spent, but still dangerously radioactive, nuclear fuel. Continue reading →

December 12, 2011 Posted by | Canada, wastes | Leave a comment

Canadian authorities intercept radioactive goods at seaports

The CBSA Keeps Radioactive Goods From Entering Canada, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Market Watch, Dec 05, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the interception and detention of 19 marine containers testing positive for low levels of man made radiation. The CBSA identified the source of the radiation as Cobalt-60. Since early October, marine containers contaminated with Cobalt-60 have been intercepted and detained at both the Port of Vancouver and Prince Rupert…..http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-cbsa-keeps-radioactive-goods-from-entering-canada-2011-12-05

December 6, 2011 Posted by | Canada, safety | Leave a comment

More uranium produced, but prices continue downward

Uranium Stocks Build Momentum but Prices Remain Weak,  Equity Research on Cameco Corp & Denison Mines NEW YORK, NY, Nov 24, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — “………While uranium stocks are on the upswing on long term optimism and takeover speculation, the spot price for uranium remains low. The spot uranium price dropped to slightly below $53 a pound U3O8, according to price publishers TradeTech and Ux Consulting, as little new buying interest emerged over the past week in the spot uranium market. Ux noted in its Monday report that a number of buyers and sellers already have met their volume expectations for the year — not surprising given volume levels posted since July…..

Cameco Corp reported…net profit fell 60 percent ….. Denison Mines  As a result of the events in Japan in March 2011, the uranium spot market demand has declined and the price has been trading in a range of $50.00 to $55.00 per pound. In response to these weaker market conditions, Denison has deferred uranium sales to later in the year.

November 25, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Canada, Uranium | Leave a comment

Uranium spill ship leaves Vancouver, as legal wrangles continue

North Vancouver bids adieu to uranium ship By James Weldon, North Shore News November 22, 2011 A boat that sparked concern among some residents of North Vancouver’s waterfront for its connection to a radioactive spill has left its anchorage in Indian Arm………

The container vessel had been sitting idle while its former owners and the owners of a one-time cargo duke it out in court over a Uranium concentrate spill that took place onboard late last year.

The Altona became contaminated in the final week of 2010 when an unspecified amount of powdered uranium concentrate — commonly called yellow cake — spilled out of toppled containers and into the hold when the ship hit rough seas en route to China.

The boat returned to Port Metro Vancouver for cleanup, a process that took weeks because of the chemical’s radioactivity and toxicity. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Transport Canada declared the Altona clean and safe in early May, at which point it was moved to Indian Arm while the legal battles got underway.

The owner of the cargo, Saskatchewan’s Cameco Corporation, claimed the ship’s owners were responsible for the mishap, which Cameco said cost it close to $20 million. Facing the potentially costly lawsuit, the ship’s owners — a company called MS MCP Altona GMBH — went bankrupt, and the ship was put up for sale. That sale is now being finalized, according to the port.

Undeterred, Cameco went after other associated companies and companies involved in loading the cargo to get its money back. The case was expected to take some time to resolve. Proceeds from the sale of the Altona will go to the defunct owner’s creditors. It remains to be seen how much, if any, of that money will go to Cameco.http://www.vancouversun.com/North+Vancouver+bids+adieu+uranium+ship/5749809/story.html

November 23, 2011 Posted by | Canada, Legal | Leave a comment

Ontario Power Generation can’t afford nuclear clean-up costs

One more nuclear risk – the dwindling value of cleanup funds  One more risk of nuclear power: Ontario Power Generation recorded a third-quarter loss because of a sharp decline in the value of funds set aside for nuclear clean-ups…..

 funds set aside for future nuclear plant de-commissioning and for nuclear waste treatment performed poorly, recording a loss of $16 million, compared with gains of $287 million a year earlier.

November 19, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Canada | Leave a comment

Radiation from CTs – a bigger risk with repeated scans

CT scans produce widely differing radiation doses, CBC News  Nov 15, 2011  A Manitoba study has found the amount of radiation patients receive from a CT scan can vary widely and should be reduced to better protect against the risk of cancer.

CBC News obtained the study through a freedom of information request to CancerCare Manitoba. The study recorded the dose of radiation to patients getting a CT scan at 13 Manitoba hospitals and compared that to similar surveys done elsewhere.

The researchers found that the average effective radiation dose for abdomen-pelvis scans was 21 per cent higher than in Saskatchewan and 15 per cent higher than in British Columbia. For a chest scan, the radiation dose for Manitoba was three per cent higher than in Saskatchewan and 25 per cent higher than in B.C….

The study notes CT — computed tomography — has become an invaluable tool for diagnosing medical conditions but there is increased worry because in recent years several international studies have linked CT radiation to cancer. In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, Manitoba patients underwent more than 160,000 CT scans.

For patients who will need a number of scans during the course of their illness, the study said cumulative radiation doses can be quite large and could reach the threshold associated with an increase in cancer risk…. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/11/14/iteam-ct-scan-radiation-manitoba.html?cmp=rss

November 16, 2011 Posted by | Canada, health | Leave a comment

Canadian authorities turned blind eye to depleted uranium affected soldiers

Gulf War vets wounded and angry,CNews By Kris Sims, Parliamentary Bureau, 10 Nov 11 OTTAWA — All of Louise Richard’s hair fell out after she came home from the Gulf War. “Ninety-five percent of the casualties we dealt with were Iraqi prisoners of war,” the former army nurse said. “They were obviously totally contaminated with depleted uranium, they had shrapnel, we operated on them, so here we were — hands in guts and breathing all of these things.”
Gulf War veterans say they have been suffering for 20 years after being exposed to depleted uranium in the Persian Gulf in 1991.  Continue reading →

November 10, 2011 Posted by | Canada, depleted uranium, Uranium | Leave a comment

Global nuclear industry in turmoil – uranium company’s profit drops 60%

Cameco reduces production forecast, Globe and Mail, BRENDA BOUW — MINING REPORTER, VANCOUVER, Nov. 07, 2011 Uranium giant Cameco Corp.  lowered its annual production forecast and reported third-quarter financial results below expectations amid continuing upheaval in the nuclear power industry.

Saskatoon-based Cameco, in a bidding war with Rio Tinto PLC for Hathor Exploration Ltd. during the current uranium price slump, cited “unfavourable market conditions” for the earnings underperformance…..

Production of uranium used to fuel nuclear power plants fell 5 per cent to 5.3 million pounds in the quarter, and for the year it is expected to drop 1 per cent to 21.7 million pounds, Cameco said. It also lowered guidance for UF6, a compound used to make enriched uranium, by 6 per cent….

profit fell 60 per cent…… Cameco shares closed down 6.5 per cent to $20.35 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday, a sign investors are worried that Cameco will continue to suffer from volatility in the sector following the Japanese nuclear disaster.

“We expect the current uncertainly in the uranium market to linger for the near to medium term,” Mr. Gitzel warned.

Driving industry concerns are forecasts for excess uranium inventories in Japan and Germany, which represent 12 and 5 per cent of global nuclear generating capacity, respectively. Germany is phasing out its nuclear program, and Japan is operating only 11 of its 54 reactors since a tsunami and earthquake destroyed its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant this past March…..

China, too, is slowing its rapid nuclear power expansion plans as it takes extra measures to ensure its facilities are safe….

November 8, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Canada, Uranium | Leave a comment

Canadian army never told soldier about his depleted uranium test results

The 2001 lab results, copies of which were supplied to The Canadian Press by Lacoste, were performed two years before tests conducted by a civilian doctor also found high levels of uranium in his hair.

Lacoste’s  fight is also directed at helping other ex-soldiers he believes might be suffering from the health effects of depleted-uranium exposure, but might not even be aware of it.

Hunger-striking vet says Ottawa never disclosed his positive uranium tests, Winnipeg Free Press, By: Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press, 11/2/2011  MONTREAL – A former soldier battling a series of health problems says the Canadian Forces failed to inform him that medical tests showed he was carrying an unusually high level of uranium.

Pascal Lacoste eventually filed a request under the Access to Information Act to see his own medical files, which revealed his hair samples contained “abnormally elevated” amounts of the metal. Continue reading →

November 3, 2011 Posted by | Canada, depleted uranium, health | Leave a comment

Canada could be drawn into USA military operations

By participating in such a program, … there’s a risk of making Canada more likely to become involved in future U.S. military operations.

Ottawa to spend up to $477M on U.S. military satellites, NATIONAL POST Canada, By Lee Berthiaume, Oct 26, 2011 OTTAWA — The federal government is planning to spend as much as $477-million to participate in a U.S.-led military satellite program that has been subject to delays and cost overruns over the past decade, Postmedia News has learned.

The Wideband Global Satellite system has been advertised by the U.S. Defense Department as a communications system for “U.S. warfighters, allies and coalition partners during all levels of conflict, short of nuclear war.”

The idea is to have as many as nine military satellites hovering over different parts of the world, ready to provide high-frequency bandwidth for U.S. and allied forces wherever they may be operating….. Continue reading →

October 28, 2011 Posted by | Canada, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Canada underestimated radiation doses of health care workers

Radiation doses of 1,769 health care workers under-reported for four years The Star. com, 26 oct 11, A system used by 1,769 health care and research workers to measure their workplace radiation exposure may have under-reported radiation levels since 2008, says the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The commission says a “calculation error” in the management system used by the devices is responsible for the low readings. Continue reading →

October 27, 2011 Posted by | Canada, health | Leave a comment

Liberal Party re-election in Canada renews hope for renewable energy

Green energy sector cheers Ontario election result, (Reuters) by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver 8 Oct 11,  – Ontario’s renewable energy industry breathed a sigh of relief on Friday and manufacturers looked forward to a surge in demand after voters in the province returned the Liberal Party to power, albeit without a majority.

Shares in renewable energy companies rose on expectations of an end to an industry slowdown caused by months of uncertainty over the future of the Liberal-sponsored green energy plan and its generous feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme for renewable power developers.

The opposition Progressive Conservative Party, which had been well ahead in the polls for much of the campaign, had threatened to abolish the FIT program, which pays well above-market rates to developers of green power.

October 8, 2011 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

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