Canada’s nuclear safety regulators will meet with the mayor of St. Catharines Tuesday to explain a plan to ferry radioactive recyclables through the Welland Canal.

The Bruce Nuclear Generating Station has asked for a licence to ship low-level radioactive generators from Lake Huron through the Welland Canal and the rest of the St. Lawrence Seaway to a recycling plant in Sweden.

Many municipal officials along the proposed Seaway route, including Garden City Mayor Brian McMullan, have complained they weren’t consulted about the waste-shipping plan, which has not been approved by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

McMullan said Wednesday officials with the commission have offered to travel to St. Catharines next week to meet with him.

“They’re saying to us they’re hearing our concerns, and I’m pleased about that,” said McMullan, who added he’ll contact other local mayors who may be interested in attending the information session.

“I’d like to hear what the plan is. So far, I’m not yet satisfied there is a contingency plan in place if some sort of accident occurred.”

Bruce Power spokesman John Peevers told The Standard last week the “very low-level radiation” is well within Canadian regulatory limits for transportation. Power plant officials have estimated a person standing near one of the 100-tonne generators for two hours would be exposed to the same amount of radiation found in a medical X-ray. Each generator will be encased in a steel shell.

Each of the 16 bus-sized steam generators contains steel that can be decontaminated and reused, according to Bruce Power officials, but about 10% of the material is thought to be too radioactive to recycle and will be returned to the Lake Huron facility for storage.

Coming or going, the movement of radioactive material requires a plan for safe delivery, McMullan said, and that includes good communication with authorities along the route.

“Should there be a catastrophic event, we’d like assurances … (there are) clear plans in place to ensure an immediate, effective response to prevent contamination of our waterways,” said McMullan, who is vice-chairman of the municipal politicians advocacy group, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

McMullan said he would share the information gained during the meeting with the 72 “mayors and chairs” who are part of the coalition, on both sides of the border.

via Nuclear regulators to meet mayor over waste-shipping plan – St. Catharines Standard – Ontario, CA.