News

Join Coalition Effort to Shut Down One of the Riskiest Nuclear Plants on the Great Lakes

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is considering a request from nuclear utility Ontario Power Generation to refurbish four of six old reactors at its Pickering nuclear power plant, less than 20 miles east of Toronto, located on the Lake Ontario shore. If refurbished, the four reactors' operating licenses would be extended from 2014 to 2060.

These reactors share safety systems in common, meaning a domino effect of meltdowns is possible. These CANDU reactors also share the Chernobyl RBMK's fatal flaw -- "positive void coefficient" -- which risks runaway reactions and explosions.

Accidents at Pickering would impact the United States, just 35 miles downwind and downstream across Lake Ontario. Pickering's larges-cale tritium releases into Lake Ontario already impact drinking water supplies downstream, even in the U.S.

Please sign your group onto our coalition comments to CNSC, calling for Pickering's shutdown. Read the group letter at the top of Beyond Nuclear's homepage, www.beyondnuclear.org. Sign on by noon Eastern time next Monday, Nov. 10th by emailing me at [email protected] with your name, title if any, group name, street/city/state/zip, phone and email. Individuals are also welcome to sign, in addition to groups. Please spread the word. Thanks!

---Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear, cell 240-462-3216