Senator Bob Runciman (Ontario – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes) is questioning the proposed timing of shipments of radioactive scrap metal through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Bruce Nuclear Generating Station is planning to ship 16 decommissioned generators through the Seaway in September. The generators, nearly 1,800 tonnes of metal with low-level radiation contamination, are headed to Sweden for recycling, as part of a comprehensive refurbishing of the Bruce generating station.

“I understand recycling of the generators makes sense, economically and environmentally, since it allows 90 per cent of the contaminated metal to be reused. But I will be asking regulatory authorities to consider, before approving this application, that the shipment will be moving through shortly after water levels in Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence have been drawn down sharply by the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control,” Runciman said in a media release.

“As it is, some shipping companies have had to reduce loads to avoid running aground because of low water levels this season. And we’ve had two ships run aground in just the last two weeks. Both of those were attributed to mechanical failure, but the consequences of a grounding are more severe when water levels are low,” Runciman said.

Runciman is writing to Dr. Michael Binder, president and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), to highlight his concerns about the timing of the shipments and to call on the CNSC, which is responsible for approving the application to ship the generators, to do a better job of informing the public of what is planned.

“Reaction to this plan has been negative, in some respects because people were surprised by it,” Runciman said. “Both Bruce Power and the CNSC need to do a better job of informing people along the proposed route what they can expect and what the risks are.”

via Runciman calls for caution with nuclear shipment – News – By EMC News St. Lawrence Local Community News.