Harrison Township, MI – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today expressed caution after the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has approved Bruce Power Ltd.’s, the Canadian energy company, plan to ship 16 steam generators with radioactive contents to Sweden by way of the Great Lakes. In October of last year, Miller called on the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to provide a full review of Bruce Power shipping plan, and for PHMSA to specifically consult the U.S. Coast Guard during their review.
“With the CNSC issuing their approval of Bruce Power’s shipment plan, it is now time for PHMSA to conduct their full and complete review. Given the sensitive nature of this shipment through the Great Lakes and connecting bodies of water, there is zero room for error and we must ensure that nothing is overlooked,” Miller said. “The U.S. Coast Guard must be 100% involved during PHMSA’s review and should provide an escort in concert with their Canadian counterparts if these shipments are allowed to transit thru the Great Lakes, as they will undoubtedly be one of the first responders in the event a disaster occurs. I will keep monitoring this issue as the review process moves forward and ensure that every precaution to protect the Great Lakes is taken.
“In addition, with the recent U.S. – Canada cross-border security agreement announced yesterday by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper, certainly security of our Great Lakes which provides so many citizens of both countries with drinking water should be a consideration under this agreement,” Miller concluded.
The 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 proposed route for transporting the 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.
###