Science/Energy

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Bruce Power is addressing concerns about its planned shipment of decommissioned steam generators through the Owen Sound Harbour and across the Great Lakes. 

John Peevers of Bruce Power communications, says Owen Sound mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners has concerns because of the low level of radioactivity that the generators carry - a level that Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hazel Lynn says is almost non-existent.

The original plan called for the 16 generators to be stored outside at the harbour in Owen Sound until they were loaded onto a ship for transport to the recycling facility in Sweden. Peevers says the generators will now be loaded daily onto the ship.

He says it's typical for people who live outside of the Bruce Power host communities to have concerns because they don't have the understanding about Bruce Power and its safety standards, like  those who live near the nuclear plant.

"I think it’s important to note that we’ve had a lot of support," he says. "Sometimes people tend to focus on certain things. We’ve been to Kincardine council, Bruce County council, Grey County council, Arran-Elderslie council, and we have support from those municipalities. 

"When you move further away from our host communities, Kincardine and Saugeen Shores who know us very well and recognize that we have an incredible safety focus, there's bound to be more questions because people aren't as familiar with us. We're answering those questions."

Bruce Power made the changes to its plan and will now load the steam generators daily, rather than leave them sitting at the harbour and loading them all at once onto the ship, says Peevers.

As for concerns voiced by Sarnia mayor Mike Bradley about transporting the steam generators along the Great Lakes, Peevers says the nuclear industry is one of the most heavily-regulated in Canada. 

"We have an impeccable safety record," he says. "Locally, people recognize that. If you look at Bradley's comments, they're more about the process - what gets shipped. We follow strict regulations from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). We have an application before them. They won't approve it unless it's safe and we wouldn't do it unless it was safe."

In the meantime, Bruce Power is holding public information meetings, about the plan to ship steam generators to Sweden:

• Tuesday, July 27, at the health unit in Owen Sound, 5-8 p.m
• Wednesday, July 28, at the Bruce County Museum in Southampton, 5-8 p.m
• Thursday, July 29, at the Bruce Power Visitors' Centre, 1-4 p.m.

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Thursday, July 15, 2010