Local opposition grows to Peace R. nuclear power project
To the Editor:
The 300 members of the Society of High Prairie Regional Environmental Action Committee (REAC) in Alberta are concerned and opposed to the proposal to build four large CANDU reactors in their region.
At public meetings, REAC members questioned why an additional 4,800 megawatts of electricity is needed. Local communities are being asked to accept routine radioactive air emissions and the long-term storage of nuclear waste. Contaminants deposited in the forest ‘re-volatize’ into the air when burned, adding cumulative effects.
CANDU reactors operating in other provinces have experienced regular shutdowns due to equipment failures and also planned and unplanned radioactive releases. Yet preparatory documents for the Peace River CANDU project hardly mention potential health issues at all.
Federal taxpayers are supporting the multinational company AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC Lavalin) to develop its new ‘MONARK’ CANDU design in Alberta. The CANDU reactors built in Ontario and New Brunswick have been financial boondoggles.
The citizens of the Peace River area overwhelmingly rejected nuclear proposals in 2009, and yet here they are again. REAC’s additional concerns include:
Water lost to evaporative cooling
Storage of ‘heavy’ (radioactive) water
Water availability for severe accidents
Emergency preparedness – no vacuum building included in model plan
Project proponents say: “…severe accidents are not realistically expected during the plant’s lifetime.” REAC says: emergency preparedness includes having realistic expectations to plan for severe accidents.
Among the many unanswered questions: Are there plans to compensate local farmers and traditional land users in case of a severe incident? What provisions are in place for monitoring locally produced milk, meat and leafy vegetables for radioactive iodine and cesium following a severe nuclear accident? What methods will be used to decontaminate buildings and remediate contaminated soil?
Jule Asterisk
REAC