No Nuke News - update

Angela Bischoff greenspi at web.ca
Wed May 27 10:57:18 EDT 2009


  No Nuke News
  (sorry for duplicates)

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Upcoming leaflet blitzes in Toronto

We’ve got maybe a month to derail the signing of the contract,  
essentially a BIG blank cheque that will amount to $26 billion – or  
more – for 2 new nuclear reactors to be built at Darlington. Help us  
distribute our leaflets which contain a postcard to be sent to Energy  
Minister Smitherman. http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/ 
Nukes_Money.pdf  We suspect he’s gotten thousands of them already,  
which would explain why he’s now asking federal taxpayers to cover  
all cost overruns – as if Nova Scotians or BC’ers should be  
subsidizing ON’s nuclear ambitions!

It really is a hoot engaging people about this issue. People get it,  
and are concerned – they just don’t know it’s happening. So  
let’s tell them!

Let me know if you can attend any of the following blitzes.
- Wed. May 27th, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Wellesley and Church St.
- Fri. May 29th, 3:30 – 5:30 – St. Clair subway station
- Sat. May 30th, 10 – noon – Brick Works Farmers’ Market (in the  
Don Valley, north of Castlefrank subway)
- Tues. June 2, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Sherbourne subway
- Fri. June 5, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Carlton and Parliament

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.  
angela at cleanairalliance.org

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Slump leaves power to spare

As more plants close, Ontario predicts fourth and fifth year of  
falling electricity consumption

Some environmental groups argue that increased instances of surplus  
baseload against a backdrop of falling demand call into question the  
need for new nuclear generation in Ontario.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/640257

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Reactor contract likely delayed

Next month's deadline for selecting the company to build Ontario's  
new nuclear reactors will likely be delayed, admits Energy Minister  
George Smitherman.

Smitherman said AECL's problems with its aging NRU reactor in Chalk  
River, which could be out of service for months, wreaking havoc on  
the world supply of isotopes used in medical imaging, would have no  
impact on Ontario's eventual decision.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/639107

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Power struggle

An Ontario environmental alliance is floating the proposed Lower  
Churchill Falls hydroelectric project as a better alternative to  
nuclear power in that province.

The development of the Lower Churchill Falls project in Labrador and  
hydroelectricity imports from Quebec can replace Ontario's aging  
nuclear reactors, according to a report released by the Ontario Clean  
Air Alliance.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=254550&sc=82

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'Distributed power' to save Earth

Economist Jeremy Rifkin galvanised the Research Connections 2009  
conference in Prague with a roadmap to simultaneously solve the  
economic and energy crises.

He proposed a pan-European strategy of small-scale energy generation  
and smart energy grids that make everyone a partner in energy.
What is more, he said, the plan would create millions of jobs and  
foster investment that would see the end of the current economic crisis.

Mr Rifkin leads a roundtable of 100 top CEOs and government officials  
who have subscribed to the plan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8043397.stm

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Ontario Gives Green Energy Act the Green Light: A first for North  
America
Ontario's Green Energy and Economy Act becomes law (May-14-09)

Members of the Green Energy Act Alliance, a coalition of leading  
environmental groups, industry associations, farmers and labour  
groups, were at Queen's Park today to congratulate the Liberals and  
NDP on the adoption of the Green Energy and Economy Act. The Act  
outlines an ambitious and globally significant strategy to improve  
conservation, increase renewable energy generation and create green  
jobs.

http://www.greenenergyact.ca/Page.asp? 
PageID=924&ContentID=1259&AA_SiteLanguageID=1

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McGuinty's green plan pollution as usual
Peter Tabuns, NOW Magazine

If we want to encourage people to generate more green energy, we need  
to guarantee they will have markets to sell it.  Just like Germany  
and Denmark, two of the world’s green energy leaders, already do.   
Local companies want Ontario to as well.
The government has other ideas, which threaten to undermine the good  
intentions behind the proposed law.  Simply put, instead of  
guaranteeing markets for renewable energy like wind or solar,  
McGuinty is guaranteeing the nuclear industry at half or more of  
Ontario’s electricity market. And when the nuclear power plants  
generate more power than the system can use we pay customers to take it.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/story.cfm?content=169479

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AECL favoured to build Ontario reactors: sources; Risk-sharing deal  
with Ottawa sought

The Globe And Mail
Friday, May 15, 2009

The Ontario government has selected Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. as  
the leading bidder to build the province's first new reactors in a  
generation, but wants assurances Ottawa will share the risks on the  
multibillion-dollar project, sources say.

A key issue is how much risk the federal government would assume for  
any cost overruns. The province wants a company to design and build  
reactors on a so-called turnkey, fixed-price basis in the hopes of  
avoiding the mistakes associated with previous projects, which  
saddled Ontarians with $12-billion in debts.

The new reactors are part of the Ontario government's plan to spend  
$26- billion expanding and refurbishing its fleet of reactors to help  
meet the province's electricity needs over the next two decades. But  
such projects can be politically risky because costs for raw  
materials and labour are rising.

George Smitherman, the province's Deputy Premier in charge of  
infrastructure, "had sticker shock at all the bids," a source said.

Sources say Ontario wants Ottawa to provide financial support and  
backing for AECL's price guarantees. At the same time, Queen's Park  
has long worried about Ottawa's commitment to AECL - the federal  
government is mulling either selling a majority or minority interest  
in the company. But AECL's future is intrinsically linked to Ontario,  
because its value will depend on whether it can sell reactors in its  
home province.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM. 
20090515.wnuke15art22242/BNStory/energy/home

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Energy [R]evolution: A sustainable Canada energy outlook
Energy [R]evolution is a groundbreaking report that shows how Canada  
can cut global warming pollution to the levels needed to prevent the  
worst effects of global warming while also meeting the energy needs  
of a growing world and phasing out nuclear power.
Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council commissioned the  
report from the German Aerospace Center.
Download the document: http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/canada/ 
en/documents-and-links/publications/energy-revolution-report-2009.pdf
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Power board chair recuses himself from nuclear discussions
Worried about possible conflicts over bids for building new  
Darlington power station
The Ontario Power Authority masterminds the planning of the  
electricity system for the Ontario government, but the chairman of  
its board of directors is recusing himself from discussions over  
nuclear power because he might be perceived as having conflicts of  
interest.

The OPA chairman, John Beck, also heads Toronto-based Aecon Group  
Inc., one of the country's largest construction companies.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC. 
20090515.OPA15GTAART2240/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
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Don’t Dump Radioactive Water into the Ottawa River

Sierra Club Canada is urging Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)  
to refrain from dumping radioactive water into the Ottawa River,  
following another leak of tritium from the NRU reactor at Chalk River.

The NRU reactor was shut down following a power failure on May 14.  
According to AECL, the reactor is now leaking heavy water at a rate  
of 5 kilograms per hour, and releasing radioactive tritium into the  
air. AECL has not disclosed details about how much tritium is being  
released into the atmosphere and the Ottawa River. However, it has  
revealed that the tritium releases exceeded action levels.
http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/media/item.shtml?x=29130020
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Angela Bischoff
Campaign Manager
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Tel: 416 926 1907 x 246
625 Church Street, #402
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
angela at cleanairalliance.org
www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca
www.cleanairalliance.org
Our Facebook Group
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