Home      About Us      Press Releases      Reports      Events      Committees      Join FARE      Contact «Press Releases What we want regulator do do Full clean-up needed of leaking uranium View PDF File FARE has sent the following letter to Linda Keen, president and CEO of the federal nuclear regulator, asking it to order Cameco to clean up all of the contaminated soil it has spilled on our waterfront. Dear Ms Keen: As a citizen of Port Hope, I am pleased to see your agency taking quick and firm action to deal with the leakage of uranium, arsenic and other dangerous materials from Cameco’s Port Hope conversion facility. Director General Barclay Howden’s letter sent to Cameco on Oct. 15, 2007, sets early deadlines for remedial action, including the installation of a groundwater treatment system to prevent any of the pollution from leaching off-site, such as into nearby Lake Ontario. We commend the Commission for this. Mr. Howden’s letter specifies that Cameco needs to identify the soil that must be remediated, in order to “control, minimize or eliminate the contamination.” It points out the company’s obligation under the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations to “take all reasonable precautions to protect the release of radioactive nuclear substances or hazardous substances within the site of the licensed activity and into the environment.” On that very point, we are deeply concerned about recent statements by two Cameco executives, vice-president Andy Oliver and his general manager, Andy Thorne. We are bringing them to your attention because we believe your Commission needs to ensure that Cameco will respect the letter and the spirit of its clean-up obligations. Both executives have said publicly that the company plans to leave most if not all of the contamination where it is, under Building 50, since digging it up might undermine the foundation of the building. This is not justified or acceptable to us. At an appearance before Port Hope municipal council this week, Mr. Oliver admitted that Cameco has made mistakes, and that the company “took for granted” unsafe conditions that it should have fixed long ago. In its report filed to you the day before, Mr. Thorne regretted the “accepting attitude” these oversights had fostered among some employees to issues of safety and containment. Both pledged to “raise the bar” on training and safety at the facility. We support Cameco's newfound self-examination and its commitment to change. Its employees deserve a clean and safe workplace. We deserve an unpolluted waterfront. But we also need firm action now from the CNSC. The company has suffered a loss of containment of radioactive substances that appear to be slowly leaching towards Lake Ontario. It must be cleaned up -- all of it, including the contaminated soil underneath Building 50. If we've learned nothing else in Port Hope during the past 70 years, we've learned that it is not reasonable to allow industries to pollute our soil and not clean it up. Unfortunately, we didn't know about the dangers of low-level radioactive waste when 2 million cubic metres of it were scattered in our backyards, parks and harbours. The federal government now must spend at least a quarter of a billion dollars to clean it up. But we do know for certain right now that allowing uranium and arsenic to stay in soil on the shores of Lake Ontario is dangerous and unacceptable and immoral. The CNSC has primary responsibility for ensuring that this polluting company cleans up its mess – a responsibility that must surely be all the more acute to you because of the imperfect role of federal regulators towards Port Hope over the last decades. Raise the bar a little higher please. Raise it to a level that is acceptable to Port Hope residents who value their waterfront and their residential and commercial property values. Order Cameco to clean up everything it has spilled. Sincerely, John Miller President, Families Against Radiation Exposure P.O. Box 202, Port Hope, ON L1A 3W3 18 October 2007 Click View PDF File (above) to view our ad in the Oct. 25 Evening Guide Scary map shows how much Cameco pollutes harbour CNSC says it must stop before low-level clean-up Does the CNSC believe THIS?? It appears to go against new scientific wisdom CNSC mystery: Was it qualified to say we're safe? Refuses to release qualifications of experts East Beach park contaminated with uranium No one is concerned Cameco lied: CNSC orders it to fix pipe Treatment systems "do not conform" Mayor's views on W-FIVE show are inaccurate Why do Health Canada, CNSC refuse comment? Write in to stop Cameco reopening polluting plant Make them clean up huge uranium spill More and more lies: Cameco's clean-up branded 'deficient' CNSC documents show lots more may be wrong What we want regulator do do Full clean-up needed of leaking uranium Dust emissions top our concerns No targets or plan to curtail uranium Too expensive to clean up all of our waste? We need explanations of delays, extra costs FARE has issues with SEU plans at Zircatec Questions filed to CNSC concerning EA screening Zircatec gets blank cheque from CNSC No mention of concerns registered by FARE Rubber stamp for Zircatec and Cameco CNSC ignores concerns of nearly 300 intervenors Here we go again: CNSC fast-tracks SEU assessment CNSC changes rules to limit public input Evening Guide guilty on "sitting on sidelines" Panders to big advertiser instead of serving people FARE wins Canadian Environment Award Praised for stopping SEU and accurate research Uranium dioxide: We've found proof that it can burn Despite Cameco's claims, its own records don't lie How to register as an intervenor for Oct. 20 hearing CNSC coming to Port Hope and they'll hear an earful Poll: 78 percent of us want a panel review Council gets details of new public opinion poll: More oppose SEU than favour it "Reckless disregard" on fire protection Documents show how CNSC dropped the ball, and why we need a panel review FARE asks 44 questions about CNSC draft report Expects them to be answered before environmental hearings 3 groups demand independent review of SEU May 19 press conference held at Port Hope harbour 3 May 2005 - CNSC response to questions about neutron radiation Press Release 14 April 2005: Questions about Neutron Radiation 30 March 2005: Response from CNSC to FARE letter 26 March 2005: Letter from FARE to Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission 22 July 2004: Media Release (As read by John Morand) 22 July 2004: Research Sub Committee Statement - read by Patrick McNamara admin@ph-fare.com P.O. Box 202 Port Hope, Ontario L1A 3W3 Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to admin@ph-fare.com. Copyright © 2005 Families Against Radiation Exposure, Inc. All rights reserved. Last modified: 15 April 2005 Archived Information » top of this page « administration

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