N.B. can’t close door to nuclear waste: premier

For Premier Shawn Graham, it would be easy to say New Brunswick won’t open its doors to anyone else’s nuclear waste.

But that could create a problem in the future, when this province is looking to dispose of its own nuclear waste from the Point Lepreau Generating Station.

“What do you do with the waste New Brunswick is currently storing in our province?” asks the premier. “That’s why we can’t close that door. We have a responsibility to make sure we properly dispose of our waste that we’re currently storing here today.

“If I stand up and say New Brunswick is not going to be at the table for discussions, then all of a sudden we’re stuck trying to find our own solution here in the province to a much bigger problem.”

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is soliciting input from across the country as it seeks a long-term storage facility for used nuclear fuel. The organization, established in 2002 by Ontario Power Generation Inc., Hydro-Québec and N.B. Power under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act, is responsible for the long-term management of Canada’s nuclear waste.

A spokesman for that organization recently told the Times & Transcript the current cross-country dialogue is designed to develop a fair process for choosing the site of the long-term storage facility. A proposal will eventually be drafted and it could be up to two years before the organization starts to hear from communities interested in hosting such a facility.

Nuclear provinces New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan are all being considered for the storage site, as well as any community in another province that expresses interest. The spokesman said the facility will not be imposed on any community that doesn’t want it.

Waste from Point Lepreau is currently stored on-site in tanks similar to an Olympic-sized swimming pool. It’s only a third full and Energy Minister Jack Keir recently said there’s enough space to handle waste for the next 30 years.

Graham says with 19 nuclear sites in Canada, including Point Lepreau as the only site in Atlantic Canada, it’s unlikely New Brunswick would be considered the best location for storing nuclear waste.

“There’s a much better chance our material will be moving to another jurisdiction than 19 jurisdictions having their material come here,” says the premier. “But we have a responsibility to be at the table to discuss how we can properly dispose of this material.”

He says taking a hard line against bringing nuclear waste to New Brunswick would not serve this province well in the future, especially if the site is eventually located in a different province.

“(Because) then I have (Premier) Brad Wall stand up in Saskatchewan and say ‘OK, if we make the decision to bring it here, you’ve already said no, so you can’t bring it to our province,’” says Graham.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/441052

Premier won’t say no to nuclear waste

FREDERICTON – Premier Shawn Graham won’t rule out the idea of New Brunswick becoming the storage site for nuclear waste from across the country.

Instead, Graham said he wants to allow the process to select a site unfold and ensure New Brunswick is a partner in the discussions.

“It’s important that New Brunswick is at the table, in discussion with the stakeholders because we want to see what types of proposals are being put forward and my firm priority now is that New Brunswick should be involved in the process,” said Graham.

“I understand that that’s happening but I’ll put it to you this way: it’s not on our radar screen at this point in time to make that a priority.”

Graham made the comments following a walk with several thousand young students to promote wellness.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is seeking public input as they begin the process of finding a long-term storage site for used nuclear fuel.

New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec are being considered as potential sites.

Nuclear waste in the province is currently stored on-site at Point Lepreau. Energy Minister Jack Keir has said there’s enough space to handle the waste from the next 30 years.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is responsible for the long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel. It was established in 2002 by Ontario Power Generation Inc., Hydro- Québec and New Brunswick Power Corporation, under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act.

“We’ll be working in partnership with the nuclear safety commission to make sure we can dispose of our waste properly here in the province of New Brunswick but it’s very premature now to pick a location,” said Graham. “We need to see what type of technology’s going to be utilized and how they’re going to dispose of that prior to that decision being made.”

Graham said several provinces are more interested in the possible options because of their strong link to nuclear, including Saskatchewan with its uranium mines.

The Opposition Conservatives did not have an opinion on the issue.

Conservative leadership contender Robert MacLeod said he doesn’t know the details of the issue, but couldn’t imagine how selecting New Brunswick would be a good idea.

Conservative leadership contender David Alward couldn’t be reached for an opinion.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/428117