And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (S.I.S.I.S.) writes: OTTAWA PUSHING PLAN TO BURY NUCLEAR WASTE, SAYS CTV Canadian Press, March 8, 1999 [S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.] TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa wants to fast track a plan to bury tonnes of nuclear waste in the Canadian Shield, CTV News reported Sunday. The plan by the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to bury the deadly waste in tunnels deep in the North was sent back last year for another three years of consultations and study to build public support. But a cabinet document obtained by CTV News says three years is too long and the nuclear waste management agency should start work on the disposal concept as soon as possible. It also called for as little public consultation as necessary. The network said Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale was not available for comment but an official in his department said the document is a "discussion paper for senior bureaucrats." The environmental assessment panel headed by Blair Seaborn said in March 1998 that the plan to bury nuclear waste appeared to be technically safe but didn't have the public support it needed to proceed. AECL had spent $575 million over 15 years to verify the safety of the deep-rock disposal concept. The plan called for cutting a shaft deep enough to swallow Toronto's CN Tower, with sealed vaults at the bottom and capable of holding deadly radioactive waste without significant leakage for centuries. The panel recommended conducting further consultation and to "build and determine" public acceptability over the next three or four years. "Safety is a key part, but only one part, of acceptability," said the report. "Safety must be viewed from two complementary perspectives: technical and social." The panel recommended more input from aboriginals. The most likely site for a deep-storage facility is Northern Ontario where there is a substantial aboriginal population. At the end of 1996, there were about 29,400 tonnes of used nuclear fuel bundles stored at Canadian reactor sites, enough to fill three hockey rinks up to the top of the boards. Even after 500 years, some of the waste could be harmful to health and the environment if it got into air, water or food. The current storage sites are above ground and have always been considered temporary. They require surveillance and maintenance and one concern is what would happen if there were a disaster or breakdown in social order in coming centuries. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: NO MORE CANADIAN TOXIC ECOCIDE AND GENOCIDE: NO TO RADIOACTIVE COLONIALISM Minister of (stolen) Natural Resources Ralph Goodale: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Minister of the Environment Christine Stewart: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] or mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2 EMAIL : <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html SOVERNET-L is a news-only listserv concerned with indigenous sovereigntist struggles around the world. To subscribe, send "subscribe sovernet-l" in the body of an email message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information on sovernet-l, contact S.I.S.I.S. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
