CNSC OKS BRUCE POWER SHIPMENT

ORIGINAL STORIES ON THIS ISSUE
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2010/07/lovell-stanners-less-worried-about.html

UPDATED AGAIN FEB 18,11

Opponents plan next step to stop Bruce Power shipments
Author: Paul Jankowski Source: The Sun Times Date published: Fri, 2011-02-18

Opponents on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border are continuing efforts to stop the shipment by Bruce Power of 16 decommissioned radioactive steam generators through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.Sierra Club Canada was to hold a conference call today to discuss a possible court appeal of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's Feb. 4 decision to grant Bruce Power a licence to transport the generators, which the company and CNSC consider low-level nuclear waste, to Sweden, John Bennett, the club's executive director, said Thursday.The CNSC decision can be appealed to the Federal Court of Canada within 30 days of being handed down, according to Aurele Gervais, the spokesman for the commission.We don't know exactly what the legal challenge will be, but lawyers I've talked to sort of preliminary all think there might be some grounds. The point of our conference (call) this week will be to discuss what the grounds might be and then who will actually join the action, Bennett said. If Sierra Club is reasonably convinced we have a reasonable chance we will undoubtedly be part of that. This fight's not over by any means.Bennett said while the only avenue left to contest the plan in Canada is a court challenge, Sierra Club was working with partners in the United States who are focusing on the process there.

Bruce Power needs permission from regulators in the United States and Sweden before proceeding with its plans to send the huge generators, which weigh 100 tonnes each, to Studsvik Nuclear AB, in Nyköping, Sweden. Studsvik would separate and recycle the uncontaminated steel in the generators and return the rest, an estimated 10%, to Bruce Power for storage at the western waste management facility. Both Bennett and the Canadian Environmental Law Association referred questions about the American approval process to Kevin Kamps, the radioactive waste watchdog of Beyond Nuclear, a non-profit organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC.Kamps said any approval would come from the Pipelines and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), which he called an obscure agency of the Department of Transportation.It's little known actually. I'd never heard of it before this steam generator issue came up, he said.Kamps said opponents of Bruce Power's plans in the U.S. would push for full environmental impact statement hearing, which would include public meetings and public comment process.Whether one would be held, he couldn't really say.PHMSA has in the past decade or more approved 17 waterborne shipments of large radioactive nuclear components, Kamps said. Only one of them was on the Great Lakes. It was two steam generators . . . from northern Wisconsin down to Memphis, Tennessee. So we assume it went through the waterways of Chicago, but definitely on Lake Michigan.Kamps said it was our assumption, not having done the research yet . . . that PHMSA did a rudimentary environmental assessment and a quick finding of no significant impact, which is in our opinion very much a rubber stamp process in its earlier approvals.

Now they've got a large amount of attention on both sides of the border and to the best of our ability we're not going to let them get away with a rubber stamp like that this time.Part of the merit to our argument is they have issued these quick approvals of these past shipments without looking at the inherent risks of waterborne radioactive waste shipments, especially on the Great Lakes, he said.One of the concerns Beyond Nuclear has is the precedent the Bruce Power shipment would set, Kamps added. It's so large, 16 steam generators. It's getting exemptions galore from ordinary standards. But it also is a precedent for much worse to follow, which would be high-level radioactive waste shipments.The Lake Michigan steam generator shipment is a good cautionary tale he said. It took place in late 2001, it happened very, very quietly. I would even say secretly. Environmental watchdogs were in the midst of fighting a proposal to set up a high-level radioactive repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada and on high alert for any nuclear shipments and it went by us without anybody knowing about it. We didn't find out about it until Bruce Power bragged about it. They said this is not unprecedented, what we're about to do.David Ullrich, the Chicago-based director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, said that group remains opposed to Bruce Power's plans. He said he has so far been unable to obtain information from the U.S. Department of Transportation about its approval process because they tell us they haven't received an application yet.Bruce Power spokesman John Peevers said earlier this week that the company has yet to make its applications to American and Swedish regulators.We have been asked to appear before a parliamentary committee . . . to talk about the project, which we welcome. So right now we're kind of focused on that. We see it as a good opportunity to tell the story and present scientific-based factual information.

The House of Common's standing committee on natural resources has set aside two days — March 8 and 10 — to examine the decision of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) concerning the proposed shipment of 1,600 tonnes of radioactive steam generators by Bruce Power, the broader policy framework governing import and export of radioactive waste from Canadian territory, transport of radioactive waste through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, and recycling of radioactive metal for free release into the marketplace, according to the minutes of a committee meeting in Nov. 10.The committee has invited CNSC president Michael Binder, representatives of Bruce Power, Mayor Gaëtan Ruest of Amqui, Que. Ullrich, Patrick Madahbe, the Grand Council chief of the Union of Ontario Indians, and Gordon Edwards of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility to testify and others may yet be asked to attend, Andrew Lauzon, the clerk of the committee, said.There has also been opposition in the UK to the shipment.The Nuclear Free Local Authorities, an umbrella group that has received policy support from 75 local governments there, has expressed its deep alarm about the plan. We don't want them passing by our waters and putting our communities at risk. The waste should remain in Canada and be safely managed there, NFLA chair Bailie George Regan was quoted as saying in announcing the launch of a campaign to stop the ship from passing through British waters.Peevers said the ship carrying the generators would travel through international waters once it reached the Atlantic until it got to Sweden.Link to source site: http://www.markdalestandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2983925

UPDATE FEB 9,11 THE TRACK OF THE NUCLEAR WASTE.

Radioactive river cargo THE SUN TIMES FEB 9,11

On February 4, 2011, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission authorized the export of 16 used radioactive steam generators from a nuclear power plant in Ontario. Communities along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes are concerned about the threat posed to drinking water.

1Transported by truck from Tiverton, on the shores of Lake Huron, to Owen Sound.

2 Loaded aboard a ship.

3 Transported through the Seaway and the St. Lawrence River.

4 Transported across the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.

5 Recycling

Dismantling of the generators at the Studsvik plant in Nykoping, Sweden, to recover metals.

6 Back to Halifax

Return of concentrated nuclear waste (10% of the initial charge) in Halifax, then by land to Ontario.

On-site storage of used generators is a more secure, but more expensive, solution.

Each generator is the size of a school bus and becomes contaminated by radioactive material during its life.

Sources: Radio-Canada; Wikipedia; Bruce Power, World Nuclear News; GLSL Cities; Nuclear Street

RESEARCH BY PIERRE-TIENNE PARADIS; INFOGRAPHIE JUSTIN STAHLMAN/

- - -

A storm of protest-Environmental groups aren't the only ones opposed to maritime transport of nuclear waste. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which represents over 70 municipalities, said it was very concerned about possible water supply problems in the event of a maritime accident.

* The Great Lakes provide drinking water to 40 million people.Article ID# 2969390

UPDATE ON THIS STORY FEB 7,11.

COAST GUARD ICEBREAKER SAILS INTO OWEN SOUND HARBOUR
By James Masters FEB 7,11

The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Griffon sailed into the Owen Sound harbour Monday February 07, 2011. Her job was to cut a pathway for the the lake freighter Algomarine which is to tie up for the winter in Owen Sound . JAMES MASTERS/THE SUN TIMES/QMI AGENCY Article ID# 2966485

City mayor comfortable with Bruce Power shipping plan
By Denis Langlois FEB 7,11 THE SUN TIMES

Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell says she is comfortable with the decision by Canada's nuclear regulator to allow Bruce Power to ship low-level radioactive steam generators out of the Owen Sound Harbour and to Sweden for recycling.They are the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. It is their role to ensure the safety of all things nuclear and they are the experts we refer to for advice and recommendations, she said Sunday in an interview.The CNSC announced Friday it has granted Bruce Power a transport licence and certificate, which are valid for one year, to ship 16 decommissioned, school bus-sized steam generators through the Great Lakes and to Studsvik Nuclear AB in Sweden.Bruce Power must still secure approvals from regulators in the United States and Sweden to transport the generators.In a news release, the CNSC said the commission is satisfied that the risk to the health and safety of the public and the environment posed by the proposed activity is negligible.Haswell said she is confident the CNSC made the responsible decision.

She said she plans to speak by telephone with Bruce Power officials today to arrange a time for the company to publicly discuss its transportation plan in more detail at a city council meeting.The company's plan is to truck the generators one by one from its site in Tiverton to the Owen Sound Harbour where they will be loaded onto a ship.
Haswell's predecessor Ruth Lovell Stanners had raised concerns about the shipment plan, but Haswell has always publicly said she has full confidence in any decision by the CNSC.Bruce Power's shipment plan has been controversial from the start. Critics forced the CNSC tribunal to hold two days of public meetings on the plan in September. Seventy-seven interveners delivered submissions to the tribunal.Critics said they fear the plan will set a dangerous precedent for shipping nuclear waste through the Great Lakes and raised concerns about potential threats to human health and the environment.The environmental group Sierra Club Canada released a statement in which it described the CNSC's approval of Bruce Power's plan as a sweetheart deal.

The shipment to Sweden sets a dangerous precedent that will lead to thousands more tonnes of nuclear waste being shipped across Eastern Canada, hugely increasing the likelihood of a spill, accident or dangerous material getting into the hands of terrorists, the group said in the statement.The shipment was opposed by municipalities, First Nations and hundreds of individuals who provided a mountain of testimony and evidence to the CNSC last fall.We did everything right. We followed the play book but the game was rigged from the beginning. We asked for an environmental assessment - denied. We asked for intervener funding - denied. We worked with individuals, municipalities and First Nations and our views - ignored. Justice for the environment - denied.Article ID# 2965203

FEBRUARY 4, 2011, 8:29 P.M. ET.Canadian panel OKs nuclear shipment on Great Lakes . Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has approved a shipment of 16 scrapped power generators with radioactive contents across three of the Great Lakes.The panel announced its decision Friday, turning aside objections from environmentalists and some local officials in the region who said the lakes would be contaminated if there were an accidental spill.Bruce Power Inc. plans to send the spent generators to a recycling plant in Sweden aboard a 387-foot cargo vessel. Each generator is about the size of a school bus.The shipment would depart from a port on Lake Huron's Owen Sound and traverse Lakes Erie and Ontario, plus the St. Lawrence River, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.The company says recycling the generators would be good for the environment.

CNSC approves Bruce Power shipping plan
By Paul Jankowski - FEB 4,11 THE SUN TIMES OF OWEN SOUND

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission gave Bruce Power the green light Friday to ship 16 decommissioned steam generators to Sweden for recycling.The company still needs permission from regulators in the United States and Sweden to transport the generators, which the company and the CNSC consider low-level nuclear waste, to Studsvik Nuclear AB in Nyköping, Sweden, Bruce Power spokesman John Peevers confirmed.The company has not started the process of seeking those approvals, he added.The way it works we first have to apply to the Canadian regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Now that we have that approval we'll take the next steps.The CNSC transport licence and certificate is valid for one year, the regulatory agency said in a news release. How long it will take to get the other required approvals is completely out of our hands, Peevers said.Right now, we're just pleased with the announcement today . . . we've always believed this is the right thing to do to reduce our environmental footprint and we're pleased the soundness of our case has been verified by the CNSN.Bruce Power wants to truck the generators, which each weigh about 100 tonnes and contain four grams of radioactive material, from the nuclear power complex near Tiverton to Owen Sound, where they will be put on a ship and carried through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, then across the Atlantic to Sweden.

Studsvik Nuclear is to recycle 90% of the steel from the generators and return the rest to Bruce Power, which will store it at the western waste management facility, under the company's plan.Critics lined up against the proposal and forced the CNSC to hold two days of public hearings in September.CNSC staff supported Bruce Power's plans. However, opponents argued, among other things, that sending the nuclear waste through the Great Lakes would set a dangerous precedent. They are also concerned about the consequences if the ship sank, leaving the cargo on the bottom of a lake.
During its hearings, CNSC commissioners heard submissions from 77 interveners. Commissioners then requested additional information from staff and later also allowed additional time for supplementary written submissions from hearing participants.Based on its deliberations, the Commission is satisfied . . . that the risk to the health and safety of the public and the environment posed by the proposed activity is negligible.The commission is satisfied that Bruce Power is qualified to carry out the activities to be permitted under the licence and certificate and that Bruce Power will make adequate provisions to protect the environment, the health and safety of persons and to maintain national security and measures required to implement Canada's international obligations,the CNSC said in Friday's news release.A 44-page record of proceedings including reasons for decision the CNSC also released Friday afternoon said the commission includes in the licence the conditions set out in the draft licence attached to CMD 10-H19.C.

Peevers said he did not know what those conditions were.The company only found out about the CNSC decision at 4:40 p.m. Friday and it's really too early for us to even comment on that. This is something we just received within the last hour that we haven't had time to review it in detail. As I said, we're pleased with the announcement and we're going to take the next steps.Article ID# 2963726

AND NOW THAT OWEN SOUND WILL SHIP THE NUCLEAR WASTE TO SWEDEN SINCE THEY GOT THE OK.I HAVE A RELATED STORY HERE THAT OWEN SOUND IS CLEARING THE ICE FROM THE LAKE IN OWEN SOUND.SO MAYBE THEY WILL TRY TO SNEAK OUT THE NUCLEAR WASTE TO SWEDEN QUICK.

I can't get the story but the title in the Owen Sound Sun Times is Icebreaker expected in city Monday if any one wants to google it.

HERES PICTURES OF THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD GRIFFON-THE ICE BREAKER
http://www.boatnerd.com/shiphotos/for-sale/coast-guard-canadian/griffon.htm
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/special/ccggriffon/default.htm

CANADIAN COAST GUARD ICEBREAKING PROGRAM
http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Ice_Fleet