No Nukes News: Rad Waste

[Angela Bischoff]

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The World
☢ Canada Needs a National Radioactive Waste Policy Over 100 civil society organizations and prominent scientific experts from across Canada have called on the federal minister of Natural Resources to suspend all decision-making involving radioactive waste disposal until Canada has a sufficient radioactive waste policy in place. More here and here.

☢ Fermi 2 nuclear station struggles with large COVID-19 outbreak among workers A large COVID-19 outbreak among employees at Fermi 2 nuclear power plant in Michigan has led to mandated testing of every employee at the facility and an indefinite shutdown.

☢ Rosatom announces 100 coronavirus cases at Belarus nuclear plant Rosatom has reported that at its 11 nuclear plant sites, 485 of its employees have been infected with the new virus. They have halted the project at Belarus.

☢ Living in the Time of Pandemic 2020 Pandemics and atomic meltdowns are not predictable events. A Fairewinds essay about the vulnerabilities of nuke facilities.

☢ The idea of India importing nuclear reactors has serious cost and safety concerns Both the US and Indian nuclear establishments are struggling to retain relevance as wind and solar technologies could provide power at a fraction of the cost and risk.

☢ The World Nuclear Waste Report 2019 - Focus Europe The amount of nuclear waste is growing worldwide. But even 70 years after the beginning of the nuclear age, no country in the world has found a real solution for the radiating legacy of nuclear power.

☢ The new nuclear boondoggle in New Brunswick Why are they willing to continue investing public money in a technology (SMNR) that has never been successful economically or environmentally over supporting well-proven responsible renewable energy development that is succeeding at both? 

 

 

Ontario

☢ Why is Ontario spending billions on nuclear energy when cheap renewables are available? Considering the urgency of the climate crisis, the drastic drop in wind and solar costs over the last five years, and the availability of cheap hydroelectricity, Ontario’s abrupt pivot toward expanding natural gas and unwavering intent to develop an expensive and dangerous nuclear sector is startling. 

☢ Pandemic leads to moratorium on Ontario’s nuclear re-build programs In response to Covid-19, Bruce Power suspended work on the re-building of its Unit 6 nuclear reactor, and OPG announced that it will not proceed with the re-building of its Unit 3 nuclear reactor at this time. This provides Premier Ford the opportunity to reconsider its plan to re-build 10 aging nuclear reactors and subsidize our electricity rates to the tune of $5.6 billion per year.

☢ New York turns down pipeline. Ontario should too. New York state rejected a new gas pipeline. Ontario should too, based on the same reasons: no need, environmentally harmful, and bad for the climate.

☢ Controversial Hamilton fracked gas pipeline application paused over Covid-19 Plunging oil prices and growing climate change awareness will make more companies think twice about fossil fuel expansion plans.

☢ Bruce Power ordered to reveal prices The ON Information and Privacy Commissioner has ruled that Bruce Power and the Ontario Government must come clean on the cost of power from rebuilt reactors noting that “the public has a right to know what the electricity cost will be from the multi-billion Bruce NGS [Nuclear Generating Station] project as they are paying for it and will be locked into paying for it for almost 50 years.”

☢ My Open Letter to Al Monaco, CEO, Enbridge, Calgary, AB By expanding its energy conservation and efficiency programs, Enbridge can avoid the need for additional fracked gas imports, reduce our energy bills, create jobs in thousands of Ontario communities and help Ontario achieve its 2030 climate target. 

☢ Opposition gathering to nuclear fuel disposal vault in South Bruce, ON

☢ Nuclear Tanks No Thanks A concerned group of South Bruce citizens has united in a common cause to oppose the establishment of a high-level radioactive waste dump in their community. Learn more and sign their petition.
  

 

 

Renewables and Conservation
☼ Judges Reverse Ford Gov't Bid to Cancel Cornwall-Area Wind Farm The Nation Rise windfarm in eastern ON that was cancelled mid-stream by the Ford gov't has been overturned in the court of law.

☼ Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation The European Commission announced a two-fold recovery plan from the coronavirus pandemic - Next Generation EU – to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and position as a global player, and to build a more sustainable and fairer Europe. Its plan omits nuclear power.

☼ Green energy firms on track to deliver massive windfarms Companies want to power greener economic recovery following Covid-19 pandemic

☼ A deep retrofit of homes and buildings is the megaproject Canada needs Post-COVID is an opportune time to invest nationally in climate-oriented upgrades that will improve efficiency and move us toward a low-carbon future. 

 

 

Take Action 
☢ Send a letter to Ontario party leaders asking for the launch of energy retrofit program that will put Ontarians to work, lower our bills and lower climate emissions too.

☢ Stop Japan from dumping radioactive water from the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster into the sea – it should instead be solidified and stored onland. Petition to the Japanese gov’t.

☢ Sign the petition to phase-out Ontario's gas plants Rather than ramp up GHGs from Ontario's gas plants by 400%, we can power our grid with conservation, water power from QC and made-in-ON green energy at lower cost, lower risk and lower emission. Send a letter to ON's Premier and Party Leaders here.

☢ Stop the giant Hamilton gas pipeline - sign the petition Say no to the proposed Hamilton Pipeline and fracked gas imports from the U.S.

☢ Order your FREE leaflets here calling on the Ford Government to phase out gas plants and immediately dismantle Pickering Nuclear Station after shutdown in 2024. We're coordinating distribution blitzes in Toronto, Pickering and Hamilton. High school students can gain volunteer service hours. Contact angela at cleanairalliance.org for more info. 

 

 

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