In January 24 2007, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) held a hearing in Ottawa for the general public concerning environmental assessment guidelines for the proposed refurbishment of Pickering B Nuclear Reactors and continued operation at the Pickering B Station. There were about 64 presenters from the public which included individuals and representatives from many environmental organizations. The International Institute of Concern for Public Health (IICPH) was among them. The decision was handed down in April to allow a low level type of environmental assessment rather than a full panel review which would allow for a more thorough investigation and greater public input into the process. We think that is necessary.

Practically all the concerns of the public were explained away in the report handed down in April by the CNSC

http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/commission/pdf/2007-01-24-Decision-OPG-EA-e-F inal.pdf

On page 9 Under Scope of the Assessment section 45 it says « OPG reported that it considered that the potential environmental effects could be established with a high degree of certainty since the environmental impacts of operating Pickering B have been well established.» In a report prepared for Ontario Hydro Demand/Supply Plan Hearings, Dr. Rosalie Bertell reviewed two studies on health effects around Ontario Nuclear facilities which showed at that time that leukemia mortality and incidence in children according to place of birth were elevated around the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station during the years of operation, 1971 to 1987. Also the incidence of Down syndrome was seen to be elevated around Pickering Nuclear. See Bertell Paper Aug. 31 1992)

The Radiation and Health in Durham Region Study 2007 has only recently come to our attention and therefore we are not in a position to comment at this time. However, we wish to emphasize that the consequences of low levels of radiation can take many years to develop. This is particularly true of particle radiation. The health effects are diverse and many. IICPH along with other health environmentalists have been trying to get the message across to assessors and regulators for some time that there is:

NO SAFE LEVEL OF IONIZING (NUCLEAR) RADIATION.

Even levels of radioisotopes that occur normally in nature can cause health effects. We are now increasing the number and variety of these radioisotopes into our biosphere through «peaceful» and non-peaceful methods.

Radioisotopes that get into our air, water and soil from nuclear power plants include TRITIUM, a beta emitter which combines readily with oxygen to form radioactive water or tritiated water (HTO). It acts in every way like water except that it is radioactive. It goes where water goes and in each of its forms, solid, liquid or gas. Our bodies are mostly water so therefore when breathed in or ingested, it can go anywhere in our body where water goes. See Health Effects of Tritium on www.iicph.org . Health effects do occur through a short window of opportunity during ovum, foetal and child development Women are more vulnerable than adult men. See Page 6 of Health Effects of Tritium.

Nuclear Waste is a serious problem as there is no acceptable solution to the long term storage of nuclear waste. If nuclear power plants continue to operate and increase in number, the amount of nuclear waste available to the biosphere will increase accordingly. We already have too much waste and should not be making any more.

Pickering Nuclear Station should not have been built so close to a huge urban centre: no other nuclear power plant elsewhere has been and that it poses a serious threat to the public in the case of a nuclear accident, terrorist attack or earthquake was not given the weight that we think it should have received. Human error and unforeseen circumstances can always occur. Just because we have not had a disaster at Pickering does not mean it could not happen.

Pickering B was not built with terrorist attacks or dirty bombs in mind. Considering the drastic consequences to a huge segment of the population of Ontario, we do not believe it should be refurbished but shut down and decommissioned.

Pickering B sits on a long earthquake faultline. While the report stated that there has been no activity for some time and is no seismic activity and that there is none at present does not guarantee that there never will be. Dr. Arsalan Mohajer, Associate Professor of Geophysics and Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto has researched on this topic for 10 years. He concluded that Pickering B poses unacceptable risks to the growing population around the plant.

The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), an organization of the nuclear industry, produced a series of TV ads saying that nuclear is clean. It is being touted as an answer to coal-fired power plants, but they fail to mention that the «clean» air coming from the stacks in pure white puffs of steam and in the cooling water returned to the lake or river contains tritium. The efforts of those vested interests are designed to allay our fears.

The danger of nuclear weapons proliferation increases with every power plant sold abroad. There could come a time when life on earth of all kinds would end, not from climate change, but from nuclear radiation too high to sustain life. See the book, «No Immediate Danger» by Dr. Rosalie Bertell .available from IICPH, www.iicph.org.

Are the police and fire services trained and capable to work in a contaminated area if that became necessary? The EMO say they are ready, but how ready for what?

There are only so many roads and directions people can go. Anyone who commutes to Toronto can understand the nightmare scenario that could play out on our roads.

THE ANSWER TO CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT MORE NUCLEAR BUT MORE RENEWABLES.

Contrary to the pro-nuclear people, a combination of conservation and renewable energy will provide what we need at the same time providing good jobs and boosting the economy. See Energy[R]evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook at http://greenpeace.org/canada/en/documents-and-links/publications/energy-r-evolut ion