Ontario ditched nuclear reactor plan over 26B price tag
Jul 14, 2009 - The Ontario government put its nuclear power plans on hold last month because the bid from Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the only "compliant" one received, was more than three times higher than the province expected to pay.
AECL's future in doubt as Ontario suspends nuclear power plans
Jun. 29, 2009 - “If Ontario does not order it, I think it has no prospects of sales elsewhere,” says Steve Thomas, professor of energy policy at the University of Greenwich in Britain. “I would be surprised if AECL survives, to be honest. I think Candu is really in a very weak position now.”
Ontario drops plans for 2 new nuclear reactors
June 29, 2009 - Citing ballooning costs and its responsibility to the taxpayers of the province, the Ontario government says it is indefinitely mothballing plans to build two new nuclear reactors at the Darlington power station.
Exposure to Radiation and Health Outcomes - PDF File, 130 Kb
This report was commissioned by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (Saskatchewan office) and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses. Verbal agreement to proceed was granted on May 28, 2009 for a report to be completed by June 18, 2009. The report is to be presented to the Future of Uranium in Saskatchewan Public Consultation Process on June 23, 2009.
The Biggest Breast Cancer Risk Factor That No One Is Talking About
October 23, 2008 - The most deafening silence is about radiation, which is a 100 percent known cause of cancer. We are exposed to radiation in a variety of ways, through X-rays, CT scans and mammograms, but also by living near a nuclear power plant or having been exposed to weaponry that uses depleted uranium.
ALBERTA GOVERNMENT INVITES PUBLIC INPUT ON NUCLEAR ISSUE
April 27, 2009, Edmonton, The Alberta government is encouraging Albertans to share their views on whether nuclear power is an appropriate addition to the province’s energy options. read the Information Bulletin
Alberta Nuclear Consultation: The Alberta government is looking for your views on whether or not nuclear power should be considered as an option for meeting Alberta’s energy needs. By participating you can ensure the government considers your views as it develops its official position. The survey will remain open until midnight June 1, 2009.
An interactive online workbook and survey is now available at
http://www.innovativeresearch.ca/alberta/
Government of Alberta Energy homepage: www.energy.alberta.ca
Hard copies of the workbook and survey can also be submitted and are available online or by phoning toll-free:
310-0000, then 780-427-0265.
Download the Workbook & Survey
Please Note! Surveys must be completed and returned by midnight June 1, 2009
March 26, 2009, Edmonton, The Alberta government has released the report by the Nuclear Power Expert Panel. Albertans will next be asked to share their views on the issues covered in the report and the option of nuclear power generation in Alberta.
Read the Information Bulletin
Nuclear Power and Alberta: Background Report
Download the Report
March, 2009, Edmonton, The Alberta government has appointed their Nuclear Power Expert Panel.
The panel chair and members are:
- Dr. Harvie Andre, P.C., President and CEO, Wenzel Downhole Tools Ltd. (Panel Chair);
- Dr. Joseph Doucet, Enbridge Professor of Energy Policy, University of Alberta, School of Business;
- Dr. Harrie Vredenburg, Suncor Energy Chair in Competitive Strategy and Sustainable Development, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary;
- Dr. John Luxat, Nuclear Safety Analysis, Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University.
Duties and functions of the panel
- The Panel shall prepare a balanced and objective Report for the Government of Alberta on factual issues pertinent to the use of nuclear power to supply electricity in Alberta.
- The Report shall be submitted to the Minister of Energy.
- The Panel will identify in its Report the relevant facts underlying the following issues:
- Alberta’s projected future demand for electricity;
- Nuclear Power Generation Technologies;
- Comparison of nuclear with other base load generation technologies;
- Integration of nuclear power into the supply of electricity in Alberta;
- Current and Future Nuclear Power Generation – Canada, World;
- Risk and Benefi t Assessment – Environment, Health and Safety, Cost
- Waste Management and Liability;
- Social Issues;
- Process to Respond to Social Issues.
Glossary: NUCLEAR TERMS - ACRONYMS - DEFINITIONS
Actinides - A series of 15 elements starting at actinium (atomic number 89), ending at lawrencium(atomic number 103) and including uranium (atomic number 92) and plutonium (atomic number 94) with large, heavy nuclei made up of large numbers of protons and neutrons. They are unstable elements that decay by emitting radioactivity.
Atomic number - The number of protons in the nucleus of an element. The atomic number distinguishes the chemical properties of the element.
AECB - Atomic Energy Control Board, the former Canadian federal nuclear regulator (now replaced by the CNSC).
AECL - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the Crown Corporation that designs and sells CANDU reactors.
AESO - Alberta Electric System Operator, responsible for planning and operating Alberta’s transmission system.
Alpha particles - Nuclei of the helium atom (i.e., two protons and two neutrons bound together).
ARC - Alberta Research Council.
Beta particles - High-energy, high-speed electrons.
BWR - Boiling Water Reactor, a design that uses a single coolant loop in which water reaches
boiling temperature to produce steam.
CANDU - Canada deuterium uranium, a reactor design based on natural uranium fuel with heavy water (deuterium) as a moderator.
Capacity factor - The percentage of time that a generating unit is available to produce energy.
CERI - Canadian Energy Research Institute.
CNS - Canadian Nuclear Society.
CNSC - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the federal nuclear regulator.
CO2 - Carbon dioxide.
Depleted uranium - Uranium from which U-235 has been removed, usually as part of the process of making nuclear fuel.
Deuterium - An isotope of hydrogen that includes one proton and one neutron (compared with the more usual form of hydrogen that has no neutron.)
EPRI - Electric Power Research Institute.
ERCB - Energy Resources Conservation Board.
Fission - The splitting of a heavy atom into smaller fragments when it is hit by a neutron.
Fission products - Unstable isotopes of lighter elements created when the nucleus of a heavier element is split.
Gamma radiation - Electromagnetic radiation similar to X-rays.
GDP - Gross Domestic Product, a measure of total economic activity in a region or country.
GW - Gigawatt, one billion watts.
GWh, GWd - Gigawatt-hour and gigawatt-day, respectively. The energy equal to one 57 gigawatt of generating capacity operating over one hour or one full day.
Heavy water - Water containing a higher-than-usual percentage of molecules made up of deuterium rather than typical hydrogen.
IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency.
IEA - International Energy Agency.
IGCC - Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle, a technology for creating synthetic gas from coal or other sources and burning it to produce energy.
INL - Idaho National Laboratory.
Life-cycle analysis - Considers the environmental impacts of all the components throughout the life of a facility, from manufacturing equipment, through construction, installation, and operations to eventual decommissioning.
LLRWMO - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office.
m2 - Square meters.
m3 - Cubic meters.
MW - Megawatts, a million watts.
MWh - Megawatt hours.
Neutron - A subatomic particle with no electric charge. The nucleus of any atom is made up of protons and neutrons.
NEI - US Nuclear Energy Institute.
NGCC - Natural gas combined cycle.
NOx - Nitrogen oxides.
NWMO - Nuclear Waste Management Organization, an organization created by the owners of used nuclear fuel to manage Canada’s nuclear waste.
Person-years - A person-year represents the amount of work done by one person employed for a full year.
PBMR - Pebble bed modular reactor.
PWR - Pressurized Water Reactor.
PHWR - Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor.
RBMK - Reaktor bolshoy moshchnosti kanalniy (a high-power channel-type reactor).
SCO - Synthetic crude oil.
SO2 - Sulphur dioxide.
Sievert - A unit for expressing dosages of radiation. It reflects the biological effects of radiation received. A milli-Sievert is one one-thousandth of a Sievert.
U-235 - Uranium-235, an isotope of uranium made up of 92 protons and 143 neutrons. It is naturally fissile and releases neutrons.
U-238 - Uranium-238, the most common isotope of uranium, made up of 92 protons and 146 neutrons.
V - Volts.
W - Watts.
WANO - World Association of Nuclear Operators.
Wh - Watt hours.
WNA - World Nuclear Association. |
ALBERTA'S POLITICIANS ON THE RECORD
(May 6) Edmonton Alberta Hansard, Nuclear Power
Dr. Taft: The public is increasingly skeptical about the government's
consultation on building a nuclear power plant in Alberta.
Among other things the consultation workbook completely avoids
mentioning the very real problems that are plaguing the construction of new power plants. My question is to the Minister of Energy. Can the minister name a single nuclear power plant anywhere in North America or Europe under construction today or any time in the last 30 years that's on time or on budget?
Mr. Knight: What I will tell the House and the people of the province of Alberta is that the government of Alberta is not constructing any type of nuclear facility anywhere.
Dr. Taft: Well, let's pursue that line because I think that's a promising line. The nuclear lobby is aggressively pursuing $50 billion in government loan guarantees in the U.S. because without them nuclear power is not viable. To the Minister of Energy: will this minister rule out this government giving loan guarantees for developing nuclear power in Alberta? Can we just rule that out?
Mr. Knight: The question, really, absolutely has no relevance to what's happening in the province of Alberta. We have not - not - given any loan guarantee to anybody to build any electrical generating facilities in the province of Alberta since I don't know when. I can tell you that right now under the structure that we have in the province of Alberta, electrical generation is a stand-alone market facility. We have no nickel in it, and we do not intend to have any.
Dr. Taft: Okay. I'm glad there won't be so much as a nickel of public
money in there. To the same minister. Another way that nuclear power companies want to put their financial risk on the public back is to begin charging customers when construction begins on the plant rather than when power generation comes online. That means customers pay for nuclear power for years before it's even generated. Again to the Minister of Energy: will the minister rule out any option from this government that would require customers in Alberta to pay for nuclear power before it actually comes online?
Mr. Knight: It's very obvious that the member opposite hasn't spent one iota of time to actually take a look at the structure of generating in the province of Alberta. He wouldn't ask a question like that if he had a little idea about what it is that we actually are doing in Alberta.
April 28, 2009, Edmonton, Alberta's Official Opposition Responds to the Alberta government's Nuclear Power Consultation process and workbook during question period in the Alberta Legislative Assembly.
"Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government’s workbook on nuclear power is very obviously one sided." read more
April 28, 2009, Edmonton, Brian Mason, MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood, leader of the Alberta NDP Opposition speaks to the Alberta Assembly on the nuclear agenda.
Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to nuclear power, this government has put the horse before the cart. It is increasingly evident that the Tories have already decided to support the development of nuclear power in our province and are now making a big show of pretending to care what Albertans think. Under the guise of public consultation the government has a website full of so much pro-nuclear propaganda that it might as well have been paid for by Bruce Power. I want to ask the Energy minister: why won’t he admit that this government has already decided in favour of nuclear power and is now merely attempting to convince Albertans to go along? read more
April 16 2009, Edmonton, Rachel Notley, Edmonton-Strathcona, a member of the Alberta NDP Opposition speaks to the Alberta Assembly on the nuclear agenda.
Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After months of delay the Energy minister finally released a nuclear report that was completely biased. It was a pro-nuke brochure designed as fact, full of ridiculous claims like wind turbines being worse for the environment than the radioactive waste generated at each nuclear plant every year. To the Minister of Energy: when will you stop spinning your propaganda merry-go-round and sit down for some straight talk about nuclear power with Albertans, who are worried about the environment? read more
March 18, 2009, Edmonton, Rachel Notley, Edmonton-Strathcona, a member of the Alberta NDP Opposition speaks to the Alberta Assembly on the nuclear agenda,
Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, it’s a year late at this point. A nuclear plant creates 2,000 tonnes of radioactive waste per year that nobody can clean up. We’ve already got an environmental disaster on our hands in the form of tailings ponds that nobody can clean up. Now this government wants to repeat that mistake, this time with an undisposable pool of radioactive waste that nobody can clean up. To the minister: why are you sitting on your panel’s report if not because you know it’s a recipe for yet another environmental disaster? read more
BLOGS, OPINION, EDITORIALS & NUCLEAR NEWS
Catholic bishops join Alberta nuclear debate
June 17, 2009 -Edmonton- Call it a debate between faith and fission: Alberta's Catholic bishops have issued a joint statement urging the province to delay a decision on whether to establish nuclear reactors in the province until serious "ethical questions" are answered.
Grow green energy protesters tell gov't
June 6, 2009 - Edmonton - Group accuses Alberta of paying lip-service to consultation on atomic power plant
Nuclear consultation draws big P.A. crowd
June 9, 2009 - Officials conducting a public meeting on the possibility of building a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan needed more chairs to accommodate everyone at the Prince Albert meeting Monday.
Put nuclear money elsewhere
Besides the increased health costs (cancers in miners and processors), the environmental costs of building reactors and increased danger to Saskatchewan citizens from spills or accidents, uranium is a limited resource.
Saskatchewan residents feel uninformed when it comes to nuclear reactor: Sigma Analytics poll
Proposed Nuclear Plant on Shaky Ground
May 25, 2009 - A nuclear plant should never be built at the current proposed site near Peace River because it sits on the Whitemud Fault, a Peace River audience was told last week.
Changes needed to medical isotope production, scientist says
January 29, 2009- A research scientist at Canada's national particle and nuclear physics lab is calling on the federal government to look into ways of delivering radioactive medical isotopes without the need for nuclear reactors.
AECL favoured to build Ontario reactors
- May 15, 2009, Toronto & Ottawa — The Ontario government has selected Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. as the leading bidder to build the province's first new reactors in a generation, but wants assurances Ottawa will share the risks on the multibillion-dollar project, sources say.
Nuclear Consultations: Another contentious issue, another phony consultation - Ricardo Acuña - Vue Weekly
May 7, 2009- Why bother? Does anyone in Alberta really believe that "consultations" and "expert panel" reports generated by the provincial government are ever anything more than attempts to whitewash contentious issues and unpopular policies?
Environmental groups and AFL release groundbreaking Green Jobs report
22 April 2009 (Edmonton) — Alberta can create more than 200,000 long-term green jobs and build a strong economic future, according to a groundbreaking report on green jobs released by two prominent environmental groups and the Alberta Federation of Labour.
Groups protest nuclear at information session
Peace Country is NOT happy about Nuclear. There was a virtual "Truck Rodeo" at the Manning Agricultural grounds on Monday evening as local residents came out to tell Bruce Power what they thought about the choice of site for the proposed nuclear plant.
April 21, 2009 Nuclear safety: Who decides?
- Unlike the governments of other developed nations, the Canadian government and Parliament can now directly control the start-up and operation of nuclear reactors. This is the result of a recent Federal Court ruling that allows the government to remove the head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) without cause.
Apr 21, 2009 Ontario Pays to Give Away Surplus Electricity
- Seasonal surpluses and nuclear inflexibility seen undercutting incentive for renewable sources and additional nuclear power plants.
Lehman Brothers sitting on a stockpile of uranium.
April 15, 2009 - The rump of the bankrupt bank Lehman Brothers is sitting on a stockpile of 450,000 lb of uranium "yellowcake" which could be used to power a nuclear reactor or, theoretically, to make a bomb. Liquidators have been trying to offload the stuff for months. But the price of uranium has been dropping steadily.
Nuclear Reaction - blogging the meltdown of the nuclear industry by Greenpeace...
Canada to Join Controversial Nuclear Partnership
- The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) plan proposes re-using nuclear waste, a practice effectively banned in Canada and the U.S. since the 1970s for security reasons.
Global Nuclear Energy Partnership
- the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is cooperation of those States that share the common vision of the necessity of the expansion of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes worldwide in a safe and secure manner. It aims to accelerate development and deployment of advanced fuel cycle technologies.
Hidden agenda for Alberta land grabs
- A report written for the provincial government by a nuclear engineering professor, two business professors and the CEO of an oil patch company casts the idea of nuclear power for Alberta in a positive light...
Nuclear dumping & the Somali pirates
January 5, 2009 - In 1991, the government of Somalia collapsed. Its nine million people have been teetering on starvation ever since — and the ugliest forces in the Western world have seen this as a great opportunity to steal the country's food supply and dump our nuclear waste in their seas.
Yes: nuclear waste. As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies. Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died.
Trip sells Alberta mayor on nuclear power
May 17, 2007, The mayor of a town northwest of Edmonton said he is feeling comfortable about the possibility of a nuclear reactor in his backyard after a trip to see a reactor in New Brunswick.
Cameco net profits fall to $82M
May 01, 2009 SASKATOON–Cameco Corp., the world's biggest uranium miner, which also has nuclear power generation and gold businesses, reports its first quarter 2009 net profits fell to $82 million or 22 cents a share from $133 million or 39 cents a share last year's period.
OPG appoints nuclear expert as new president
May 01, 2009 - Ontario Power Generation has named Tom Mitchell as president, the energy agency's first internal appointment in almost 20 years.
Much More at Stake than Medical Isotopes
Dec 13, 2007 -Concern over the shortage of medical isotopes is not the only reason the Harper government has chosen to make Canada a nuclear safety outlaw, and it may not even be the overriding one.
Medical Isotope Power Struggle
Feb 25, 2008 - As disputes heated up between operator and regulator, a serious accident was actually less likely than at any point in 50 years.
Cameron Wigmore, Green Party Member BLOG
July 18, 2007 - Nuclear Energy Not Needed, Not Wanted
18 July 2007 - Damaged Japanese nuclear plant 'may sit on fault line' Calendar of Nuclear Accidents & Events
is a calendar that shows the threat that humanity faces from the atom bomb and the nuclear fuel cycle. This calendar gives some examples of the everyday nuclear incidents that have occurred all over the world. It demonstrates how technological failures coupled with human error risk public health and the environment on an almost daily basis. |
