About two dozen protesters gathered outside the Holiday Inn on George Street as a public hearing in Peterborough got underway Wednesday to review a licence renewal application from BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada.
The company is seeking to renew its Class IB fuel facility-operating licence for 10 years at both its Peterborough and Toronto facilities. Its current licence expires on Dec. 31.
The company currently ships uranium pellets from its Toronto facility and zirconium alloy tubes manufactured at its Arnprior, Ont., site to Peterborough, where they are assembled into fuel bundles.
However, at issue for many residents and organizations is the company’s added request on the licence renewal to process uranium dioxide pellets at the Peterborough plant on Monaghan Road — a process currently permitted at the company’s Toronto plant.
The company has stated the request would give them “flexibility” to adapt to any changing business needs.
The three-day hearing — hosted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commision — got underway Wednesday afternoon at the Holiday Inn on George Street. Outside on the sidewalk a small group of protesters gathered, demanding the pelleting request be denied.
The hearing is being streamed live on the CNSC website.
There have been a number of protests over the past two months outside the plant and at Peterborough City Hall, citing health concerns about the pellet production.
Peterborough’s medical officer of health, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, stated earlier this year is no health threat with uranium pelleting and that the company has been adhering to guidelines.
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CNSC president Rumina Velshi opened the hearing by explaining the commission will host a “fair, efficient and transparent hearing.” She noted CNSC staff conduct their own independent reviews of applications and the commission only will make a final decision.
However, she noted any decision won’t take into consideration the “economic impact” of a facility.
“The commision is an administrative tribunal,” she said.
Among the first delegations Tuesday were several CNSC staff members who stated the company is “capable” and “qualified” in making modifications to the Peterborough site to ensure a safe uranium pelleting operation.
Haidy Tadros, a CNSC staff member, said based on the technical assessment of the application, staff concluded that the company is “qualified” to carry out the uranium pelleting operations and be “protective of the public and the environment.”
Cathy Vakil, of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said she has concerns about the licence application. She said there are inadequate studies on the effects of uranium exposure on children — pertinent as Prince of Wales Public School is across the street from the Peterborough facility.
She also said the CNSC’s review dismisses the health effects of uranium and ignores the potential dangers of beryllium, which is used at BWXT to join parts to make the fuel bundles.
Vakil said the CNSC should require BWXT to do frequent monitoring of soil levels near the facility and deny a licence until the company provides a “reasonable” plan to monitor uranium levels around its Toronto site and Peterborough, if uranium pelleting is permitted.
She said the CNSC should recommended BWXT move all of its uranium productions to areas away from citizens.
“The people in Peterborough are being forced to accept a health risk without any justification because they don’t benefit from this,” said Vakil.
David Snopek, BWXT director and environmental health and safety and regulatory affairs, outlined a number of safety protocols in place at the Toronto facility to deal with potential uranium emissions.
In his presentation, Jeremy Milloy, justice, peace and integration of creation office of the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, argues thee 10-year-licence renewal should be denied as BWXT does not specifically address sustainability as it relates to climate change adaptation.
“Such a time frame is too inflexible to assess and address a changing local climate and changing concerns brought up by the community’s Climate Action Plan,” he said.
The hearing is expected to hear up to 55 citizen oral presentations and a dozen organizations and groups including BWXT, Peterborough Public Health, Curve Lake First Nation and the Citizens Against Radioactive Neighbourhoods. There are more than 170 written submissions on the application.
The hearing continues Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
More to come…