Renfrew County residents have received a 2-page mail-out from the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) entitled …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã� �ï�¿�½�Â�Near Surface Disposal Facility …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â� a safe solution….�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� It does not tell the whole story.
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�What?…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�
What CNL calls an …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�engineered containment mound…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� for …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�low-level and other suitable waste…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� would basically be a radioactive waste landfill alongside Perch Creek on the Chalk River Laboratories property. This creek flows into the Ottawa River only about 1 km away.
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Waste water treatment plant removes contaminants…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
During heavy rains or snow melt, radioactive contaminants would run off into ponds and could overflow into the Perch Creek wetlands. The treatment plant would not remove all contaminants. Tritium …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â� radioactive heavy water …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â� would not be removed at all.
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�What will go in it…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
The mail-out says where wastes would come from but not what they would be. CNL officials talk about building demolition wastes. The 990-page draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) mentions tanks, drums, process equipment, piping, spent ion-exchange resins, immobilized liquids (p. 3-8); and large quantities of man-made radioactive elements such as americium and plutonium with half-lives of many thousands of years (p. 5-513).
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Proven technology…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
CNL says that …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�proven technology…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� means that …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�effectiveness for disposal…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�¦ has been demonstrated through similar facilities currently in operation globally….�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� (EIS, p. 2-24) …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Effectiveness for disposal…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� could just mean …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�getting rid of…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� waste. …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Similar facilities…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� in the U.S. are located in the desert. They have operated for only a few years …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â� not the many thousands of years that these wastes will remain dangerous.
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Federal agencies set regulations and provide oversight…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (the lead federal agency on nuclear matters) has never set regulations for permanent disposal or abandonment of radioactive waste.
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Waste Acceptance Criteria…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
CNL will propose its own Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for what goes in the landfill. It hasn…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â�.t done so yet. These criteria may be …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�quantitative or qualitative….�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� (EIS, p. 13-8)
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Waste that does not meet the criteria will not be accepted…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
The EIS says (p. 3-13) …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�In the rare occasion that wastes that do not meet the WAC, the waste may be further reviewed for acceptance through the WAC variance process….�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�
…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�Timeline…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�?
The mail-out says …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�construction begins…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â� next year. In September 2015 the Harper Government signed a 10-year contract with CNL that says, …�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã�
�ï�¿�½�Â�CNL shall seek the fastest, most cost effective way(s) of executing the DWM [Decommissioning and Waste Management] Mission including disposal of all waste….�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬�ï�¿�½�Ã��ï�¿�½�Â�
Our tax dollars at work?
The 2017-2018 federal budget contains over 500 million dollars to deal with nuclear decommissioning and waste liabilities. CNL…�ï�¿�½�Â��ï�¿�½�Â�¬.�ï�¿�½�Â�.s Near Surface Disposal Facility project is only a proposal that is still undergoing an environmental assessment. Is a fancy 2-page mail-out promoting this project an appropriate use of our tax dollars?
Ole Hendrickson
[Tel. 613-234-0578 in Ottawa or 613-735-4876 in the Pembroke area]
