Seaway shipping of generators delayed
The seasonal closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway and delays in the licensing process mean that a proposed shipment of large radioactive generators will not happen until the spring, at the earliest.
Nearly 80 groups, including the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, oppose the shipment of 16 decommissioned 100-ton radioactive steam generators through the Great Lakes and the Seaway. Bruce Power, owner of the Canadian nuclear plant that is proposing shipping the generators to Sweden for recycling, has said it remains committed to the plan.
"The window is closed for this year based on the Seaway shutting down and we're in a pretty snowy part of Ontario here; the highway is closed today because of snow and that's pretty common for this time of year," Bruce Power spokesman John S. Peevers said earlier this week.
There is no specific timeline for when the shipment may pass through the locks; it is entirely dependent on the Canadian regulating process.
But to those who oppose the plan, the delay is a boon.
"I guess on one hand, the delay is a good thing. Obviously, they can't ship them with the Seaway closing," said Jennifer J. Caddick, executive director of Save the River, Clayton. "But hopefully, that will give them an opportunity to do some more education on the issue, to explain what exactly these things are and what the issues are and do a little more outreach to the American side."
Save the River is not one of the 79 groups who have intervened in the licensing process, but its officials have been keeping a close eye on it anyway, according to Ms. Caddick.
The Bruce Power website has a page on it dedicated to explaining the plan's logistics and risks, and was ordered by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to provide more information to the interveners after a September public hearing.
The generators, according to the Canadian commission, pose a risk to the public or the environment because of their low levels of radioactivity. When they were built, they were simply steel. Over time, they have become radioactive through use at the plant. The Mohawks, however, oppose the shipment because it violates their laws, as well as being disrespectful of their history and culture, MCA officials have said.
"We are surprised that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is advocating on behalf of Bruce Power," MCA spokesman Brendan F. White said in an e-mail. "The Nuclear Safety Commission assures us that there will be no significant impact to our waters, but that is the same rhetoric our community received when the Seaway was built 50 years ago."
In 1999, the Council passed a law declaring that no nuclear materials would pass through Mohawk lands. Since the reservation spans both sides of the international border across the St. Lawrence River, that includes the Seaway. Back then, the Mohawk government successfully prevented a shipment of mixed oxide fuel, a fuel capable of sustaining nuclear fission.
The generators would not be the first radioactive shipment to pass from North America to Europe via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Because they are too large to fit into the containers designed for such shipments, the company needs to have a special permit.
Despite the opposition, and possible legal challenges from the Mohawks, Bruce Power remains committed to shipping the materials, 90 percent of which would be recycled in Sweden. The remnants would return to the plant, which is about 155 miles northwest of Toronto, for long-term storage.
For Save the River, the process has raised questions about what else is shipped through the Seaway. The organization will spend the winter months, when the route is closed, pushing for more transparency from Seaway officials, Ms. Caddick said.
"One thing this whole Bruce Power shipment has really raised some questions about the whole hazardous shipment policy," she said. "Then there's a broader community right-to-know about what's being shipped, what the risks are, particularly as we look to closing this season and opening the next."
