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Tuesday
Nov232010

Broad coalition submits additional comments to CNSC opposing radioactive steam generator shipment on Great Lakes

A broad environmental and public interest coalition of groups from both the U.S. and Canada has again voiced its opposition to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) opposing Bruce Power's proposal to ship 16 radioactive steam generators on the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean to Sweden for so-called "recycling." A media release was issued by the coalition. Dr. Gordon Edwards, President of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility and Canadian co-chair of the Great Lakes United Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force submitted supplemental comments, again emphasizing that the proposed shipment's cargo is mostly plutonium, hardly "low-level" radioactive waste of "no risk" to the public and environment as alleged by CNSC. Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear, and a member of the GLU Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force, also submitted supplementary comments (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3), emphasizing the nationwide and growing coalition calling for "hardened on-site storage" for radioactive wastes rather than risky transport for no good reason -- such as so-called "recycling" of radioactive materials into consumer products, which carries its own radiological risks for the population at large. Michael Keegan, chair of the Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, called upon CNSC for a Full Panel Review, the top level environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Ziggy Kleinau, on behalf of the Bruce Peninsula Environment Group, called for an independent full panel review five years ago, and also submitted supplemental comments yesterday.