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Bruce Power has set up a website to provide the facts to the public about the company's plan to ship 16 used steam generators to Sweden for recycling.

Launched Thursday, the purpose of the website at www.rightthingtodo.ca is to provide easily-accessible, verifiable information to interested people, says president and chief executive officer Duncan Hawthorne.

“We believe we have a responsibility to minimize the amount of waste we produce while we refurbish our reactors, reducing our environmental footprint," Hawthorne says. "That's why recycling the clean components of steam generators is the right thing to do."

The website outlines the plan with facts, videos, photos and expert opinions. It will be updated on a regular basis.

"We will continue to share information with the public throughout this process," adds Hawthorne.

Bruce Power is seeking permission from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to ship the generators through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

Environmentalists, First Nations and residents along the proposed route have expressed concerns about shipping the radioactive, school bus-sized generators from Owen Sound to Sweden for recycling. 

Bruce Power says recycling the generators, now stored at its southwestern Ontario facility, will reclaim 90 per cent of the steel in the generator casings. The recycling technology required to separate the steel from other mildly radioactive components isn't available in Canada. 

Following a hearing last month, the CNSC said it wants more information on the environmental impact assessment, emergency plans, and the amount of radioactivity allowed in shipments before deciding if Bruce Power can go ahead with its plan.

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Friday, October 22, 2010