NUCLEAR AWARENESS PROJECT
News Release -- Toronto
Wednesday May 10, 2000

CITY OF TORONTO CALLS FOR
BEEFED-UP ASSESSMENT ON NUKE PLANT

 The City of Toronto today passed a motion calling on the federal government to upgrade an environmental assessment currently underway on the proposed restart of Canada's oldest nuclear plant, the Pickering "A" nuclear generating station. The four reactors at the Pickering "A" nuclear station were shut down at the end of 1997 because of poor performance safety issues. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) proposes to spend $1 billion in ratepayer funds to repair these aging reactors and to restart them beginning in 2001.

The current screening level environmental assessment has been denounced as a whitewash, because it does not review a possible severe accident with loss of containment; it does not consider safer, cleaner and cheaper electricity generating options (wind, solar or high efficiency natural gas plants); and it does not look at the economic costs of repairing the Pickering nuclear plant, as compared to alternative generating options. The screening review (written by OPG itself) was released on Monday May 1st, and only 60 days are being allowed for public comment.

Environmental critics have assailed the current screening assessment as unfair because it is managed by the Atomic Energy Control Board -- the federal nuclear regulatory agency that is widely seen as a puppet of the nuclear industry. The City of Toronto motion calls for federal Environment Minister David Anderson to appoint an independent panel to oversee the review, and to expand the scope for the assessment. The motion was moved by Scarborough City Centre councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti and seconded by Don River councillor Jack Layton.

The Ontario Government and OPG have been condemned for failing to promote renewable energy alternatives to replace dangerous and polluting nuclear and coal plants. The City of Toronto motion also notes that "the failure to review a severe accident with loss of containment [at the Pickering nuclear plant] is inconsistent with the Ontario Nuclear Emergency Plan". Catastrophic nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986 have both involved failure of the reactor containment buildings and the subsequent release of deadly radiation to the environment. Ontario's own nuclear emergency plan acknowledges that such an accident is possible. Ontario Solicitor General David Tsubouchi is responsible for the province's nuclear emergency plan.

Scarborough Councillor Lorenzo Berardinetti stated, "A whitewash review of the Pickering nuclear plant is unacceptable. We are calling on Environment Minister David Anderson to consider green energy as an alternative to re-starting the Pickering ‘A' reactors."

Jack Layton, Councillor for Don River, said, "In a fair hearing, I'm confident that renewable energy and conservation will come out ahead of nuclear power on safety, environmental and economic grounds." Layton is Chair of Toronto's Environmental Task Force.

Dave Martin, Research Director of Nuclear Awareness Project stated, "A new nuclear plant would never be tolerated for safety and environmental reasons in the Greater Toronto Area. That's all the more reason to thoroughly review an old risky nuclear plant like Pickering ‘A'."

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For comment or more information:

Lorenzo Berardinetti, Councillor, Ward 15 Scarborough City Centre, tel: 416-397-9274
Jack Layton, Councillor, Ward 25 Don River, tel: 416-392-4060
Dave Martin, Research Director, Nuclear Awareness Project, tel: 905-852-0571 (Uxbridge)

A copy of the City of Toronto motion is enclosed below...
City of Toronto Motion Adopted May 10, 2000
Moved by: Councillor Berardinetti Seconded by: Councillor Layton

WHEREAS the four reactors of the Pickering "A" nuclear station are the oldest reactors in Canada, and were shut down at the end of 1997 because of poor performance and safety concerns; and

WHEREAS the proposed re-start of the Pickering "A" nuclear station is currently the subject of a screening level federal environmental assessment which does not provide for a comprehensive review; and

WHEREAS a severe accident at the Pickering A nuclear station could have disastrous consequences for the Greater Toronto Area, and the current screening review excludes a severe accident with loss of containment; and

WHEREAS the failure to review a severe accident with loss of containment is inconsistent with the Ontario Nuclear Emergency Plan; and

WHEREAS the current screening review does not look at renewable energy or conservation alternatives to re-starting the Pickering "A" nuclear station, and does not look at the economic costs of re-start or alternatives to re-start; and

WHEREAS the comment period for the federal environmental assessment is sixty (60) days. As such, comments should be submitted to the Atomic Energy Control Board by June 30, 2000.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

(1) Council of the City of Toronto respectfully requests the federal environment minister, the Hon. David Anderson, to appoint an independent panel to review the re-start of the Pickering "A" nuclear station; and

(2) Council of the City of Toronto respectfully requests the Hon. David Anderson to instruct the panel to re-consider the scope of the review, and to include amongst other issues the review of a severe accident with loss of containment, alternative means of generating electricity, and an economic evaluation of the re-start proposal and its alternatives; and

(3) A copy of this motion be forwarded to federal environment Minister the Hon. David Anderson, Ontario Solicitor General David Tsubouchi, all federal and provincial members of parliament in Greater Toronto Area, and all other municipal governments in the Greater Toronto Area.

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Nuclear Awareness Project P.O. Box 104 Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada L9P 1M6
Tel/Fax 905-852-0571 E-mail: nucaware@web.net
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