FYI, the nuclear waste deep geological repository project at Bruce was on CBC Radio One's current affairs show "The Current" this morning. The overview text is attached below. The audio archive of the segment is available at www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2005/200502/20050216.html. It includes an interview with Kincardine mayor Glen Sutton, and Jennifer Heisz of the group "Women's Legacy" which opposes the project.
"The Current" invites comment: thecurrent@cbc.ca
Jeremy Whitlock
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Nuclear Power - Mayor
It's official. The much-debated, long-awaited Kyoto Protocol comes into force today, requiring countries like Canada to curb greenhouse gases. But smart cars and fuel made from soybeans won't be enough for a Green Revolution. Many argue we need clean energy to feed our energy-guzzling appetites -- and some say nuclear power could be just the ticket.
In Ontario, nuclear power already provides 40 per cent of the province's electricity. But with it comes radioactive nuclear waste. And the question of what to do with it is never easy to answer. No one knows that better than the residents of the scenic Lake Huron town of Kincardine, Ontario.
Last month, residents were polled about a town proposal to permanently bury low-grade nuclear waste---things like mop heads and rags----from the nearby Bruce Power nuclear plant, where many residents work. Waste from the province's Darlington and Pickering stations would also be stored in the rock 660 metres below ground. And the plan would see Ontario Power Generation -- the province's electricity generator -- pay Kincardine $35 million in exchange for hosting the waste.
Tonight, the town council will release the results of that poll, and they'll decide if there's enough community support to move forward. If they do, Kincardine could become the first place in Canada to take on the permanent burial of nuclear waste. To talk about all this, we were joined by the Mayor of Kincardine, Glen Sutton.
Nuclear Power - Opponent
Well, not everyone in Kincardine is as convinced as the mayor that burying nuclear waste -- even if it is low-grade -- is such a bright idea. And they say the town council is rushing into a decision without giving residents enough time or space to weigh all their options.
Jennifer Heisz is a mother of three who lives in Kincardine. She's also a member of a local group called Women's Legacy, which has been campaigning against the proposal.
Nuclear Timeline
The Kincardine plan deals with low to intermediate intensity waste---contaminated gloves and brooms and such. But Canada has an even greater challenge on its hands. Right now, there are more than 30-million kilos of nuclear fuel bundles sitting in temporary storage. Fuel bundles contain the really nasty high intensity waste. And right now the radioactive rubbish is being kept in pools and concrete storage facilities around reactors.
The question of just what do with all this nuclear waste has been a burning issue for 50 years. And not just in Canada - ever since the first nuclear power plants were built in North America people have been thinking up ways of dealing with the stuff that gets left behind.
We aired just a few of the ways we've disposed of the waste in the past and present.