Harrison Township, MI – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, today renewed her call for the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to begin their review of the Canadian energy company Bruce Power Ltd.’s plan to ship 16 radioactive steam generators via the St. Clair River and Lake Erie before continuing along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean and to their final destination in Sweden where they will be decontaminated and recycled. These generators are currently being stored on-site at Bruce Power’s Owen Sound facility in Ontario, Canada, and are all embedded with low-level radioactive waste. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has extended their deadline for reviewing Bruce Power’s shipment plan to November 22, 2010 and are expected to issue a decision by the end of November or mid-December.
“The CNSC’s decision to extend their review period is the right choice, especially when reviewing plans for the shipment of dangerous materials through the Great Lakes and connecting bodies of water,” Miller said. “This extra time will provide our federal agency, PHMSA, the time they need to begin their own review process and ensure that all factors are considered on how the shipment of these radioactive steam generators could affect our waters, as well as fully prepare for any possible scenarios that could occur in the event of an incident. With hazardous materials, such as the type that is embedded within these generators, there must be a zero-tolerance for compromising our environment.”
“Even if the CNSC and PHMSA have fully vetted Bruce Power’s current plan to ensure safety, shipping these generators will likely not happen before winter sets in and our waters begin to freeze over. More than likely the earliest that Bruce Power could ship these generators via the Great Lakes would be in the spring of 2011 giving our agencies more time for review and to take precautionary measures. Even though these generators are now in Canada, they are to be shipped on Great Lakes waters that our two nations share. An issue of this importance, our Great Lakes demands immediate attention. I reiterate my call to PHMSA to begin its review so that the people of both the United States and Canada can be certain that whatever decision is made has given the protection of the Great Lakes the highest possible consideration,” said Miller.
Congresswoman Miller recently sent a letter to PHMSA asking that they begin now to investigate Bruce Power’s shipping plan before the CNSC issues their final approval. Additionally, Miller has asked that the Coast Guard be consulted and included in the shipping plan, as they will undoubtedly be one of the first responders in the event a disaster occurs.
The proposed route for transporting these radioactive generators to Sweden is via the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The generators would be loaded on to cargo ships in Ontario, Canada, and would then travel south down Lake Huron until reaching the narrow entrance of the St. Clair River. From there, this shipment would travel through Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie before continuing along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean.
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