Membership in nuclear group sparks fear of waste dumping in Canada Quote:
The Canadian government has announced it will join an international nuclear club in a partnership critics say could lead to more radioactive waste being dumped here.
The U.S.-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposes the expansion of nuclear energy worldwide through the use of an unproven breed of reactors that burn nuclear waste — a practice effectively banned in Canada and the United States since the 1970s because of security reasons.
The group also suggests spent nuclear fuel should be returned to the country of origin for disposal.
As the world's largest uranium exporter, Canada would be responsible for a sizeable amount of radioactive waste if the proposal was adopted.
The federal government says the group, which includes 17 other countries, will promote "a safer, more secure and cleaner world" through the responsible development of nuclear energy.
"Canada is recognized for its commitment to safety and non-proliferation," Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said in a news release Thursday.
But opposition parties say they're worried Canada's membership could lead to a rising amount of radioactive waste dumped in Canada.
"The government has tried to slip this one under the wire — that Canada is signed onto a partnership now that will import nuclear waste from other countries," New Democrat environment critic Nathan Cullen told CBC News. "It's beyond me how this government continues to believe it has any environmental credentials."
The partnership has many critics, both in the environmental movement and scientific circles.
The federal government also announced a review of Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL), the Crown corporation that builds and sells reactors built in Canada.
"It is time to consider whether the existing structure of AECL is appropriate to the changing marketplace," Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn said in the release.
Opposition critics said that was a sign that AECL could be privatized.
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You don't go and send your baby's used diapers back to Pampers, so why the hell should other countries who use this form of fuel be able to just use it and pass their waste back to someone else to not worry about it?
Nov 30, 2007, 11:25 am
