Shipment of Nuclear Waste By Way Of Great Lakes Raises Concerns

Shipment of Nuclear Waste By Way Of Great Lakes Raises Concerns

LANSING, Mich. - A plan to transport radioactively-contaminated nuclear generators through the Great Lakes is raising concern from a group of U.S. Senators and Canadian conservation organizations. The 16 school-bus-sized generators are expected to be shipped from the privately-operated Bruce Power facility, about 150 miles northwest of Toronto, to Sweden to be recycled. Sierra Club-Canada Executive Director John Bennett says the company has reversed its plan to store the generators on-site in concrete bunkers.

"This would be the first time that nuclear waste from Canadian reactors would be transported out of the country. And contaminated metals from that waste would actually get into the general stream of recycled metals around the world and would come back to haunt us in our dinnerware, et cetera."

Bennett notes there are 64 other generators that will become redundant in the coming years and may also be shipped when they are decommissioned.

"We don't need to take those risks, you know? We have a plan; it's called 'storing them.' It may be more expensive for Bruce Power, but that's the way it is, and that's the way we should do it."

According to Bennett, in the event of a mishap during transport, the waters of the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway are at risk of radioactive contamination. Seven senators from Great Lakes states, including Michigan's Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, have asked Canadian authorities to provide more information and an environmental assessment of the plan. Although officials from Canada have reviewed public comments, so far they have said the plan poses little health risk and indicate they will allow the shipment. The Bruce Power plant generates about one-fifth of Ontario's electricity.