Secrecy as Canada transports weapons grade uranium to USA
Canada shipping bomb-grade uranium to U.S.: memo Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press, 27 Dec 11 MONTREAL — Weapons-grade uranium is quietly being transported within Canada, and into the United States, in shipments the country’s nuclear watchdog wants to keep cloaked in secrecy. Continue reading
Canadian tribes say NO to nuclear waste
No nuclear waste here, North Shore Tribal Council says,SooToday.com, December 20, 2011 Chiefs of the North Shore Tribal Council say no! to a multi-billion dollar nuclear waste disposal project in their territory CUTLER, ON – The First Nations of the North Shore Tribal Council strongly reject the prospect of the North Shore of Lake Huron becoming a site for the long-term storage of nuclear waste for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). The City of Elliot Lake has publicly expressed interest in possibly becoming one of the sites for the long-term disposal of nuclear waste for Canada’s nuclear industry.
Elliot Lake has a long history of uranium mining that resulted in the boom and bust of the city, as well as significant and lasting environmental damage to the local watershed and nearby ceremonial grounds. In addition, there are dozens of tailings ponds surrounding Elliot Lake currently waiting for a solution for their safe disposal.
“We cannot idly stand by and watch as they inject Mother Earth with this cancer,” says Chief Lyle Sayers, chairman of the North Shore Tribal Council. “We must ensure that the future natural resources of this area are there for our children, generations to come, and businesses alike.”
The half-life of this material is hundreds of thousands of years old and could impact generation after generation. No site can ever be totally safe for nuclear waste storage. “Natural disasters sometimes happen, such as we’ve seen in Japan. It could make this whole area a nuclear wasteland suitable for only that industry,” says Chief Sayers.
Our statement to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization is: Do not waste your financial resources if you plan to conduct a study in this area because a nuclear waste dump is not going to happen here.
The North Shore Tribal Council represents seven First Nation communities across the North Shore of Lake Huron.Chief Lyle Sayers is the chief of the Garden River First Nation and also the chairman of the North Shore Tribal Council. http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=37141
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
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
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
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
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
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…..
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 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
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…..
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
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.”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….
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
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
1 This Month
26 September – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
PLEASE OPPOSE HR 8255 AND S.3639 – bills would accelerate satellite deployment, with no environmental review or safeguards – https://ncstd5li.quorum.us/campaign/169331/
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