The new NDP government in Nova Scotia has legislated a ban on the exploration and mining of uranium in Nova Scotia.
Read the Chronicle-Herald story.
More than 400 people march in Saskatoon against a nuclear reactor
On Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, more than 400 people marched through the streets of Saskatoon to oppose plans for nuclear power in the province of Saskatchewan.
The rally chants included: “No nukes, no nukes, radium makes me puke.” They carried signs saying “Green is Clean” and “Don’t decide for us.”
The Saskatchewan government is currently considering uranium development proposals in the province.
Graham and Keir should not be surprised at Lepreau
By Janice Harvey
I’m pretty sure I wrote a column back when the decision to refurbish Lepreau was made in which I called the idea of finishing the project in 18 months and for $1.4 billion a pipedream. I probably reminded people of what the Public Utilities Board, as it was known then, had said earlier of refurbishment – that the technical difficulties and potential for expensive problems were such that the projected cost of the project was unreliable. Therefore, said the PUB, given the availability of alternatives for which the cost is very reliably estimated, refurbishing Point Lepreau would not be in the public interest.
Read More…
CCNB: Release results of Lepreau reactor inspection
Conservation Council of New Brunswick News Release
August 5, 2009
The Conservation Council wants NB Power and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to release the results of their safety inspection of Point Lepreau’s reactor housing - known as the calandria. During the public hearings into the Lepreau refurbishment, the former Vice-President of NB Power Nuclear Rod White described the discovery of faults in the reactor calandria as a “show-stopper” for the refurbishment.
AECL has now completely dismantled Point Lepreau’s nuclear reactor, allowing for a first-time-ever inspection of the calandria interior to determine whether its welds are in sufficient condition to permit another 25 years of operation.
“The integrity of the welds in the calandria shell must be beyond reproach to safely contain the enormous amount of radiation created during nuclear fission,” said David Coon, Executive Director for the Conservation Council. “That’s why we want the results of the inspections released to the public,” said Coon.
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Contact: David Coon, Executive Director
Francophone Spokesperson, Julie Michaud
(506) 458-8747
CCNB : On demande que le rapport d’inspection du réacteur de Lepreau soit publié
Communiqué de presse du Conseil de Conservation du Nouveau-Brunswick
Le Conseil de conservation veut qu’Énergie NB et la Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire publient les résultats de l’inspection de l’intégrité de l’enveloppe du réacteur de Pointe-Lepreau que l’on appelle calandre. Pendant les audiences publiques concernant la restauration de Lepreau, l’ancien vice-président d’Énergie NB, Rod White, avait décrit des fissures dans la calandre d’un réacteur comme étant « paralysant » pour la restauration.
EACL a maintenant complètement démonté le réacteur nucléaire, permettant ainsi, pour la première fois, l’inspection de l’intérieur de la calandre afin de déterminer si les joints soudés sont en condition suffisamment acceptable pour permettre 25 autres années de fonctionnement.
« L’intégrité des soudures de la calandre doit être sans reproche pour contenir en toute sécurité les quantités énormes de radiation créées durant la fission nucléaire, » explique David Coon, directeur général du Conseil de conservation. « C’est pourquoi nous demandons que les résultats des inspections soient révélés au public, » affirme Coon.
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Personnes-ressources : David Coon, directeur général
Julie Michaud, porte parole francophone
(506) 458-8747
Petition – Say no to nuclear waste in New Brunswick
Sign the petiton here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/say-no-to-nuclear-waste-in-nb.
Open up nuclear waste debate
By David Thompson, Saint John
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is made up of the companies and utilities who own, create and store nuclear spent fuel waste at their reactor sites in Canada. It was mandated to site and build a central, permanent, long-term underground waste storage facility for this spent fuel reactor waste, which will remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years and must be permanently isolated from entering the environment.
The organization visited Saint John on June 4 and held an open house in an effort to sell Canadians on their idea of a large central underground repository for spent nuclear reactor fuel waste. This will mean ongoing transportation of nuclear waste across the Canadian landscape. They are touting big financial benefits to the community/province who accepts their nuclear waste proposal.
Their proposal to establish a central underground storage facility will not eliminate the continued and on-going storage of hundreds of tons of radioactive spent fuel waste at the various Canadian reactor sites, including Lepreau.
The central waste storage facility proposal will only add to the on-going risk and danger to the public and environment. This waste will be transported by rail, highway and water. The potential for accidents, sabotage and diversion are real.
The concept of continued production of nuclear waste and on-going transportation from reactor sites to a central repository should not be decided without public participation. This requires open, transparent and public community meetings and debates, not self-serving open houses. Future human health and the environment depend upon it.
Nuclear Waste Facility in New Brunswick?
All are encouraged to go to the public information sessions on siting a nuclear waste facility in New Brunswick. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (http://nwmo.ca) was created as part of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. They are holding public information session in “nuclear” provinces (NB, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan) to develop a process which will lead to a dump-site location. NWMO is holding public information sessions in early June in New Brunswick. Each session (see below) lasts from 2-9pm. If you do not like the idea of a nuclear waste disposal site near you, then let’s coordinate our attendance at these meetings and show NWMO how we feel. If we all agree on a time of attendance, we can take a public information session and turn it into a public meeting. Maybe the selection process should not include New Brunswick at all!
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June 3: Fredericton
Crowne Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook Hotel
659 Queen Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A6
Tel: 506.455.3371
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June 4: Edmundston
Château Edmundston
100 Rue Rice, Edmundston, NB E3V 1T4
Tel: 506.739.7321
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June 4: Saint John
Delta Saint John
39 King Street, Saint John, NB E2L 4W3
Tel: 506.648.1981
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June 18: Bathurst
Atlantic Host Bathurst
1450 Vanier Blvd
Tel: 506.548.3335
Tel: 506.548.3335
Nuclear Waste Too Dangerous
For Immediate Release
June 3, 2009
Nuclear Waste Too Dangerous:
Another reason to oppose nuclear power
Fredericton – The Conservation Council of New Brunswick and the International Institute of Concern for Public Health is expressing concerns as the first of three public meetings on siting a nuclear waste facility gets underway today in Fredericton by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. The NWMO will visit Saint John and Edmundston next on Thursday, June 4.
“Establishing a central nuclear waste storage facility will not solve the problems of nuclear power. The proposal for central waste storage facility will only add to the on-going risk and danger to the public and the environment,” stated David Coon, the Conservation Council’s Executive Director. “The transportation of high-level radioactive waste from each reactor site in Canada to the proposed central repository is a huge concern. This waste could be transported by rail, highway and water passing through communities, farm lands and water ways. Accidents, sabotage and diversion make it too risky.”
“If radioactive waste could be stored successfully, which has yet to be proven, we would still be faced with a long list of problems associated with the nuclear fuel chain. Uranium mining, uranium processing, transportation, making fuel rods and operating the nuclear plant, all involve releases of radioactive contaminants into air, water, land and food. For example, radon emitted from uranium tailing ponds is a serious unresolved problem. Our position is therefore to phase out nuclear power in Canada and stop exporting CANDU reactors and uranium products to other countries. New Brunswick is one of three provinces that have decided unwisely to go nuclear,” stated Willi Nolan, New Brunswick representative with the International Institute of Concern for Public Health.
The NWMO is made up of the companies and utilities who currently own, create and store nuclear spent fuel waste at their reactor sites in Canada. The NWMO was mandated to site and build a central, permanent, long-term underground waste storage facility for spent fuel reactor waste. The NWMO has now begun a cross-country road show to cities in provinces with reactor sites currently holding nuclear waste.
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, the International Institute of Concern for Public Health and other organizations across the province belong to the Campaign for a Nuclear Free New Brunswick, which demands: 1) A permanent ban on uranium exploration and mining in New Brunswick; 2) abandonment of plans for nuclear power expansion, and 3) an immediate phase out of existing nuclear programs including the abandonment of plans to refurbish the Point Lepreau reactor.
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David Coon, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, 506 458-8747
Willi Nolan, International Institute of Concern for Public Health, N.B. Representative, 506 785-4660
German renewable energy expert to speak in Fredericton
May 21, 2009
Conservation Council of New Brunswick News Release
For immediate publication
Fredericton – Dr. Christine Wörlen, independent renewable energy consultant to governments around the world, and former head of the German Renewable Energy Agency will give a public talk on maximizing the use of renewable energy at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick this Thursday, May 21st at 7pm. Dr. Wörlen will also hold meetings with political, government, and utility officials during her visit.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from the German renewable energy experience.” said Julie Michaud, Climate Action Coordinator with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. “Germany leads the world in the development of renewable energy, and the benefits aren’t just limited to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Germany’s eco-economy has also created 250,000 green jobs. Renewable energy is actually one of the primary drivers of the strong and resilient German economy.”
Michaud added that it’s important to invest in renewable energy despite the current economic situation. With the Chief Economist for CIBC World Markets forecasting oil prices to hit $225 a barrel by 2012, the cost savings on fuel purchases for power generation will make renewable energy one of the most important tools to help us bounce back from the recession.
“New Brunswick has an incredible opportunity to drive its economy while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” said Michaud. “There’s no lack of renewable energy resources in this province. Our solar and wind resources are actually better than what’s available in Germany!”
The presentation will take place at 7pm this Thursday, May 21st at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick located at 180 St. John Street. Dr. Wörlen’s visit is being co-sponsored by the Conservation Council, the Canadian Climate Action Network, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
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Contact:
Julie Michaud
Climate Action Coordinator
(506) 458-8747
