Ontario is planning to spend $36 billion repairing reactors and building risky new reactors at the Darlington site east of Toronto, in part to replace the ageing reactors at the Pickering station, which will close by 2020.
This plan will divert billions of dollars that should be invested in cheaper and cleaner green energy sources. Expanding our use of green energy to replace Darlington would create thousands of jobs, save rate-payers money and end the production of radioactive waste.
Spending $ 36 billion to rebuild and build new reactors at Darlington will create the following environmental hazards:
Radioactive wastes
The existing Darlington reactors have created over 5,000 tonnes of high level radioactive waste that must be isolated from humans and the environment for one million years. When reactors are dismantled, they become radioactive trash, which must be isolated from the environment for hundreds of thousands of years.
Mining and processing uranium for reactor fuel also produces waste known as tailings. There are currently over 200 million tonnes of uranium tailings in Ontario and Saskatchewan. This waste remains a hazard for thousands of years and contains carcinogens, such as radium, radon gas, and thorium among others.
Accident Risks
Human error or technical failure could cause a meltdown at Darlington. The nuclear industry knows that the risk of major nuclear accident is real and requires a special law, the Nuclear Liability Act, to protect it financially from the liability of an accident.
Terrorist Target
Nuclear power plants are attractive targets for terrorists because of their importance to the electricity supply system, the severe consequences of radioactive releases and because of their symbolic character. Such an attack would have widespread and catastrophic consequences for both the environment and public health.
Radioactive Emissions
Nuclear stations release radioactive pollutants into the air and the water. Radioactivity can be absorbed by living things through air, water and food. Exposure to radioactivity increases the risk of cancer and having birth defects.
Thermal Pollution
The existing Darlington reactors dump hot water into Lake Ontario, disturbing fish habitat and ecosystems.
Limiting A Green Energy Future
A dollar can only be spent once and every dollar spent on nuclear is a dollar not available for green energy and conservation. Investment in renewable energy, conservation and local generation will be suppressed as capital will be tied up in nuclear projects and green energy entrepreneurs will invest elsewhere.
Ontario is planning to spend $36 billion repairing reactors and building risky new reactors at the Darlington site east of Toronto, in part to replace the ageing reactors at the Pickering station, which will close by 2020.
This plan will divert billions of dollars that should be invested in cheaper and cleaner green energy sources. Expanding our use of green energy to replace Darlington would create thousands of jobs, save rate-payers money and end the production of radioactive waste.