No Nukes News: Rehab goes awry
Angela Bischoff-OCAA
angela at cleanairalliance.org
Fri Jul 9 21:53:54 EDT 2010
No Nukes News
July 9, 2010
Pass this onto a friend! - a
"AECL is a dead man walking. The Harper government is right to sell it and
stop the drain on the public purse." - Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Greenpeace
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New Brunswick throws a wrench into AECL sale plans
New Brunswick has cast a pall over Ottawa's effort to sell off Atomic Energy
of Canada Ltd., announcing that it has dropped AECL's proposal to build a
new reactor and is turning instead to the Crown corporation's arch-rival,
France's Areva Group. "I get the impression there's not a heck of a lot of
interest" in buying control of AECL, said Bryne Purchase, a former deputy
minister of energy in Ontario and now a professor of energy policy at
Queen's University.
AECL is also behind schedule and over budget in refurbishing the province's
Point Lepreau reactor. Mr. Keir said the company will have a tough time
selling new reactors until it can demonstrate that it can better manage
retooling projects. And he said investors will be wary given the track
record of overruns at Point Lepreau and another refurbishment project at
Bruce Power in Ontario, the cancellation of the Maple research reactors, and
problems at AECL's facility in Chalk River, Ont.
Greenpeace researcher Shawn-Patrick Stensil said the Areva agreement is
unlikely to get off the ground because the French vendor will have to line
up private financing, which has proven nearly impossible in industrialized
economies, and compete with low-cost hydro from Quebec in New England
markets.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/new-brunswick-throws-a-wrench-i
nto-aecl-sale-plans/article1633588/?cmpid=rss1
Areva deal on 2nd N.B. reactor expected
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/07/08/nb-areva-nuclear-ann
ouncement-530.html
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Chalk River reactor can restart
A nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ont., where medical isotopes are made has
received the green light to restart operations after being shut down for
more than a year. That means the reactor could begin making medical isotopes
again by the end of the month. The reactor has been shut down since May
2009. That was when inspections uncovered a heavy-water leak and corrosion
at the base of the reactor vessel.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/07/07/aecl-medical-isotope-reactor-c
halk-river.html
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Pickering nuclear plant ordered to quit killing fish
Millions of adults, eggs and larvae perish when sucked into intakes or
shocked by cold water
Close to one million fish and 62 million fish eggs and larvae die each year
when they're sucked into the water intake channel in Lake Ontario, which the
plant uses to cool steam condensers.
A 610-metre barrier net it has strung in front of the channel is
insufficient because it's removed in winter and "does nothing about thermal
pollution and nothing about larvae and eggs," says Mark Mattson, president
of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a grassroots charity working to protect the
health of the lake. Mattson calls the plant's cooling system the worst of
available technologies. "It sucks in clean water along with fish, eggs and
larvae, then spits it back at close to hot-tub temperatures."
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/832748--pickering-nuclear-plant-orde
red-to-quit-killing-fish
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Canadian nuclear plant rehab goes awry
Refit was supposed to show how to keep old plants operating
An effort to refurbish Atlantic Canada's only nuclear power plant isn't
going well. Today, nobody knows when the plant will be back online, except
that it won't be any earlier than 2011. The fallout has been considerable
for New Brunswick, Atomic Energy of Canada and the Canadian nuclear industry
generally, raising concerns about the wisdom of refurbishing the Candu-6
reactors.
"AECL is terribly behind, terribly over budget, and terribly cash-flow
negative on their refurbishment projects," said Toronto-based energy
consultant Tom Adams. "The federal government keeps writing big checks for
AECL and they're not happy about it."
New Brunswick's 750,000 citizens are on the hook for a replacement power
bill estimated at $800 million - twice what was originally expected - and
have been told by their government that electricity rates will have to go up
by an additional 3 percent as a result.
http://web1.globalpost.com/dispatch/canada/100628/nuclear-power
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Worry grows over Sask. uranium exports
Fears that Saskatchewan uranium may be used in weapons have been triggered
by a newly signed export agreement with India.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed a nuclear co-operation agreement on
Sunday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was in Toronto for the
G20 summit. It allows for uranium exports to India and technological
exchanges that could be worth billions to Canada's nuclear industry.
Ann Coxworth, of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, said she fears the
federal deal could make it possible for Saskatchewan's uranium to end up in
weapons. "We need to very seriously consider whether exporting uranium
around the world is the kind of business that we should be in," said
Coxworth.
The deal ends decades of chill over India's acquisition of a nuclear bomb.
Harper said he believed India's Cold War duplicity has been consigned to
history and that it won't use Canadian uranium to build nuclear weapons.
Canada stopped nuclear co-operation with India in 1974 after the government
used plutonium from a Canadian reactor to build an atomic bomb. Singh
pledged India will play by the rules this time.*
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/06/29/sk-coxworth-uranium-k
rahn-deal.html
*Note: Then why won't India sign the NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty)?
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Feds maintain fossil fuel incentives despite phase-out pledge
The Harper government has protected several incentive and subsidy programs
for fossil fuels, despite making a G20 pledge to phase them out, according
to a leaked document from last month's conference in Toronto.
The annex, which circulated at the summit, lists and summarizes several
measures by other countries to eliminate taxpayer support for the industries
that are blamed for producing emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere and
contribute to global warming. But Canada's submission only included
previously announced measures, including a decision made in 1987. Canada
said it was still analyzing its options.
Environmental groups have estimated that Canada is spending about $2 billion
annually on fossil fuel subsidies while, around the world, the International
Energy Agency estimates that countries spent $557 billion on subsidies for
fossil fuel companies in 2008
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Feds+maintain+fossil+fuel+incentives+
despite+phase+pledge/3238173/story.html#ixzz0su4gDCiy
Finance officials can't say why Flaherty dismissed advice
http://communities.canada.com/shareit/blogs/politics/archive/2010/07/06/fina
nce-officials-can-t-say-why-flaherty-dismissed-advicef.aspx
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Deepwater oil exploration too risky
The regulator supervising Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore oil industry
has approved new exploration in deep waters. The new exploration areas,
though, have depths ranging from 1,000 metres to 2,000 metres. The Hibernia
platform, by contrast, is just 80 metres above the ocean floor.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/07/08/deepwater-ex
ploration-cnlopb-flemish-708.html
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Federal MPs cancel oilsands pollution probe, destroy report
Federal politicians from the government and opposition benches have
mysteriously cancelled an 18-month investigation into oil sands pollution in
water and opted to destroy draft copies of their report.
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Federal+cancel+oilsands+pollution+pro
be+destroy+report/3244286/story.html
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It's time to talk carbon taxes
Canadians, if they're truly interested in the country's long-term prosperity
and global competitiveness, have to start banging the pots and beating the
drums on the issue of carbon pricing. Putting a price on carbon will force
us to use our resources more efficiently and will drive the technology
innovations that help get us there.
http://www.thestar.com/article/830737--hamilton-it-s-time-to-talk-carbon-tax
es
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Liberals' solar subsidy cut sparks fears of losing seats
Premier Dalton McGuinty is taking heat over a drastic cut in the subsidy for
farmers who generate solar power, which some Liberals fear could cause an
eclipse of the party's rural seats.
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/833851--liberals-solar-subsidy-c
ut-sparks-fears-of-losing-seats
Don't let the OPA kill the Micro-Fit Solar program in Ontario
The OPA recently announced a reduction in the promised feed-in tariff for
ground mounted microFIT projects This proposed change will have a
devastating impact on business, economy, environment, employment and
confidence in the OPA and the FIT program in general.
http://www.greenandcleandirect.com/
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Around 40 % of the EU's required electricity could be generated using
building-mounted solar panels by 2020
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2265318/solar-industry-roof
s-generate
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Germany backs $103 billion in budget cuts - includes levy on nuke
powerplants
Germany's plan includes a financial-transaction tax on banks of about 2
billion euros per year and a 2.3 billion-euro annual levy on nuclear-power
plants as part of what Merkel calls an "unprecedented" round of budget cuts.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/833003--germany-backs-103-billion-in
-budget-cuts
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Write a Letter re: radiation exposure
Are you an OMERS pensioner? Kate is, and wrote to the OMERS president and
board asking that her pension money be taken out of nuclear investments.
OMERS is a part-owner of Bruce Nuclear, where workers have been exposed to
high levels of radiation
<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/radiation-exposure-at-
ontario-nuclear-plant-prompts-industry-wide-investigation/article1623607/> .
"Nuclear is the technology of the last century. This century's technology
is renewable energy sources."
Write OMERS at: board at omers.com
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Ontario proposes pushing wind turbines 5 km from shore
New rules may scupper Lake Ontario wind farm
Offshore wind turbines should not be closer than 5 kilometres from the
shoreline, Ontario's environment ministry has proposed. If approved, the
guideline would appear to pose problems for Toronto Hydro's proposed wind
development off the Scarborough Bluffs. Toronto Hydro wants to erect up to
60 turbines in Lake Ontario on a reef that runs two to four kilometers
offshore, from the east end of Toronto to Ajax.
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/828726--ontario-proposes-pushing-win
d-turbines-5-km-from-shore
"We look forward to hearing from the public and industry on the protective
rules we are proposing." Environment Minister Jon Gerretson said in a press
release.
If you think 5 km offshore is unreasonable, and if you'd like to see the
Scarborough windfarm proceed, please write:
Energy Minister Brad Duguid <mailto:bduguid.mpp at liberal.ola.org>
Environment Minister Jon Gerretson <mailto:jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org>
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Coal tar study would cost $500,000
Coal tar is seeping into the Otonabee River, causing provincial and federal
agencies to ask the city to deal with contamination underneath the Simcoe
St. courthouse and neighbouring properties, a city report shows.
City council, sitting as committee of the whole Monday, will consider
pulling $500,000 from a reserve fund to study the coal tar contamination and
develop and action plan for remediation. The cost to deal with the
contamination could be much higher.
http://www.waterkeeper.ca/2010/06/29/coal-tar-study-would-cost-500000-peterb
orough-examiner-ontario-ca/
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Social Transformation through NonViolence
Monday July 12TH - 7 pm - Nonviolent Action from the US Civil Rights
movement to Palestine - with Shir Hever of the Alternative Information
Centre, on the Free Gaza flotilla, and documentary footage and interviews
from 'A Force More Powerful' on strategy and training behind the lunch
counter sit-ins
Monday July 19TH - 7 pm - Empowering activists and building a mass movement
through nonviolence - with Dave Martin of Greenpeace, Angela Bischoff of
Greenspiration, and Lyn Adamson of PeaceWorks. What will it take for
nonviolent social transformation? What are the methods and strategies?
Monday July 26TH - 7 pm - Healing and Nonviolence - Decolonizing the Heart
- the link to peacebuilding with Murray Kelly, D M, Carrie Lester and
Victoria Freeman: Sharing personal stories of moments of truth faced by
settlers and indigenous communities in working toward decolonizing self and
other.
All evenings at Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave.,1 block east of St. George, 2
blocks north of Bloor, Toronto (St. George subway station)
Donation $8 (sliding scale)
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Angela Bischoff
Outreach Director
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Tel: 416 926 1907 x 246
625 Church Street, #402
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
<mailto:angela at cleanairalliance.org> angela at cleanairalliance.org
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/> www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca
<http://www.cleanairalliance.org/> www.cleanairalliance.org
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<http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate> donate now
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