letters, Feb. 5.
Janet Smith's letter contains some inaccurate statements about nuclear power. Here are some facts:
Nuclear power in Canada is very safe. In 47 years of using nuclear energy, not one single fatality has resulted from radiation exposure at a Canadian nuclear power plant or waste storage facility. Very few Canadian industries protect the public or their workers as diligently as does Canada's nuclear industry.
At Bruce Power's nuclear facilities in Ontario, for example, 2008 data show that of the radiation received by residents living near the station less than one per cent came from the facility, with the bulk of the remaining 99 per cent coming from natural sources such as the sun or radon in soil. Radiation monitoring at the Bruce site also consistently shows that tritium concentrations in local water supplies and lakes are well below one per cent of legal limits.
According to a Nov. 20, 2009 statement by the federal Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission: "There is no evidence that people living near nuclear power stations have increased risk of any diseases, including leukemia. Furthermore, nuclear workers in Canada experience a lower rate of cancer and live longer than the general population."
The health department of Ontario's Durham Region (home to the Darlington and Pickering nuclear stations) conducted a study, "Radiation and Health in Durham Region 2007." This study concluded that "disease rates in Ajax-Pickering and Clarington did not indicate a pattern to suggest that the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station were causing health effects in the population. Given the extremely low levels of radiation exposure from the stations, it would be unlikely that any effects would occur."
The Durham Region study notes that there are other communities, such as Toronto, where background radiation levels are higher than in Durham Region because of naturally occurring sources of radiation.
As for long-term and safe management of used nuclear fuel, a solution known as "Adaptive Phased Management" was accepted by the government of Canada in 2007 and is being implemented by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, subject to all the necessary regulatory approvals. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization reports to the federal government.
Funds for the decommissioning of Canada's nuclear reactors at the end of their service lives, and for long-term management of used nuclear fuel and nuclear wastes, are available today in segregated funds established by the nuclear power generators.
Canada's nuclear power stations produce electricity that is reliable, extremely safe, stringently regulated, and without any of the gas emissions that cause smog or global warming. As we progress through the 21st century, Canada needs more nuclear energy, both to power our economy and to preserve our environment.
Denise Carpenter, president and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association, Ottawa
