Radioactive Waste

Ottawa's invested too much and grown too close to act as an independent regulator, critics say. Jenny Uechi Posted: Apr 21st, 2011 Send Article Print Article Read More:CanadaNewsWorldCanadian Nuclear Safety CommissionCNSCDarlingtonGentilly 2Gordon EdwardsHydro QuebecJohn Bennettnuclearnuclear powernuclear power plantPickeringradiationSierra Club « prevnext »Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Ottawa is too involved in Canada's nuclear industry to effectively regulate it, critics say. To tackle the problem, they're calling for a non-partisan royal commission inquiry into the future of the country's nuclear power industry.

Gordon Edwards, president and co-founder of the Canadian Coalition of Nuclear Responsibility, said the federal government is "completely dependent on the nuclear industry to tell them what to do."... Read more »

In a nuclear crisis that is becoming increasingly serious, Japan’s Nuclear Safety Agency confirmed that radioactive iodine-131 in seawater samples taken near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex that was seriously damaged by the recent tsunami off the coast of Japan is 4,385 times the level permitted by law.

Airborne radiation near the plant has been measured at 4-times government limits.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, the company that operates the crippled plant, has begun releasing more than 11,000 tons of radioactive water that was used to cool the fuel rods into the ocean while it attempts to find the source of radioactive leaks. The water being released is about 100 times more radioactive than legal limits.
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FRANCE (04/01/2011) -- the most nuclear-dependent in the world -- called for new global nuclear rules and proposed a global conference in France for May as President Nicolas Sarkozy paid a quick visit to Tokyo on Thursday to show support.

"We must look at this coldly so that such a catastrophe never occurs again," said Sarkozy, who chairs the Group of 20 bloc of nations, during his brief stopover.

It was the first visit by a foreign leader since a March 11 earthquake and tsunami battered northeast Japan, leaving nearly 28,000 people dead or missing. The damage may top $300 billion, making it the world's costliest natural disaster.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under enormous pressure as he struggles to manage Japan's toughest test since World War II, welcomed the gesture of solidarity.... Read more »

Canada’s nuclear industry is facing repercussions from Japan’s alarming reactor failures, as the federal regulator orders safety reviews and critics demand a halt to any new projects.

One of the first casualties may be Quebec’s only nuclear station, the Gentilly-2 plant, which is slated for a $2-billion refurbishment to extend its life for 40 years. The Parti Québécois has joined with activists in the province to demand the government put a halt to the project.

In Ontario, environmental groups are urging the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to suspend licensing hearings into Ontario Power Generation’s plan to build two reactors at its Darlington site. The review panel began its work on Monday in Courtice, Ont., and the provincial and federal energy ministers have said there is no reason to adjourn
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