Fantastic claims
By Anne Hanson, The StarPhoenix
Here we go again. In the Op-ed, Nuclear industry misrepresented in alarmist claims (SP, Nov. 9), yet another uranium mining executive is spouting the wonders of uranium mining and nuclear energy.The only statement that rang true for me was the $12 million invested by Cameco in community programs and infrastructures. We are all painfully aware of the buying of community support by this company. I could use an entire SP edition to refute Mr. Mooney's claims of cleaner air, better health, clean electricity and so forth. It is all mythical.
The one thing I do know is that my environment is at risk for thousands of generations. The industry should be tried for crimes against humanity.
Anne Hanson
Saskatoon
Dirty nukes
Contrary to Liam Mooney's claim, nuclear energy is not clean energy.
It doesn't take an accident - under normal operating conditions nuclear power plants deliberately and routinely release numerous unfilterable pollutants into the air and water. They release tritium (H3), iodine131, carbon14, and noble gases (xenon, krypton, argon and radon) some of which transmute into cesium137 and strontium90.
These dangerous carcinogenic long-lived substances are released from reactors into the air and water, day in and day out. In addition, the entire nuclear fuel chain (mining, milling, refining, conversion and fuel fabrication) is extremely polluting, releasing heavy metals, acids, selenium, uranium, radium, radon, and polonium, into the environment.
These all pose documented serious health hazards.
As if this isn't enough to condemn nuclear power as dirty, its by-product, radiotoxic high-level nuclear waste, will be with us virtually forever.
In 2011 a great controversy over 64 steam generators from Ontario's aging fleet of reactors brought this home.
Bruce Power's proposal was to ship the generators to Sweden for reprocessing and return the most radioactive material to Canada for storage.
Recovered metal was to go into the general steel market where it would end up in all manner of consumer products. A little radioactivity in your new frying pan anyone?
Karen Weingeist Saskatoon
Nuclear dangers real and widespread
I write to reply to the allegations made about me in John Gormley's column, More private liquor stores, less Caldicott (SP, Nov. 2).
First, it is important for me to stress that the aboriginal people in Northern Saskatchewan are being exploited by the uranium and nuclear power industry, as they have routinely been in the United States and Australia.
People who have lived benignly with nature for tens of thousands of years have been forced to allow mining companies to extract uranium from beneath their feet and to work in the mines.
Ample evidence abounds in the scientific literature that one-fifth to one-half of uranium miners in North America have suffered from lung cancer. Furthermore, uranium miners are also exposed to carcinogenic whole body gamma radiation as well as the ingestion of radium - the element that induced leukemia in Madame Marie Curie.
Many indigenous people who live near uranium mines are also exposed to radioactive elements, and newly elevated rates of cancer are now reported in these populations. We don't know exact numbers because the Saskatchewan government has not performed a baseline health study on the populations affected.
As if this ecological danger were not enough, the nuclear industry is proposing to bury 37,000 tonnes of extremely toxic, high level long-lasting radioactive waste from Canadian nuclear reactors among this vulnerable group of people, which, it is claimed will give them jobs.
As the isotopes inevitably leak, they will contaminate the food chain for evermore inducing more malignancies and genetic disease over future generations.
Protecting land for future vital to First Nations
By Doug Cuthand, Special to The StarPhoenix
Today the mines around Uranium City constitute one of the worst environmental cleanup jobs in Canada. The Dene people who have lived and trapped in the area for generations have seen development come and go.
We are the people who truly are of this land. Others may come and dig and chop and root around, but we are eternal. Our people have watched untouched wilderness get destroyed, and are left behind as the developers move on.
Of course some of our people get jobs in the mines and oil wells as they should. However, they have to be become aware of the environmental concerns, of any steps being taken to reclaim land, and what is required in the event of a spill or contamination to the surrounding environment.
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations has gone on the record stating, "Both the federal and provincial governments are making their environmental laws friendly on industry and soft on environmental protection."
The First Nations have a special relationship with the governments under treaty.
Our understanding of the treaty relationship is that we would share the land and resources with the newcomers. This also means that our people would play a role in the environmental process as the resources are developed.
Of course some of our people get jobs in the mines and oil wells as they should. However, they have to be become aware of the environmental concerns, of any steps being taken to reclaim land, and what is required in the event of a spill or contamination to the surrounding environment.
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations has gone on the record stating, "Both the federal and provincial governments are making their environmental laws friendly on industry and soft on environmental protection."
The First Nations have a special relationship with the governments under treaty.
Our understanding of the treaty relationship is that we would share the land and resources with the newcomers. This also means that our people would play a role in the environmental process as the resources are developed.
But governments have sought to reduce our role to simply that of a stakeholder. We are invited to comment, but this does not grant us any real involvement. Our treaty relationship is not being respected, and development is taking place on our traditional territories without any meaningful role for our people.
Now, without the proper environmental assessments we lack the knowledge of the potential impact on the land, air and water. The message from the First Nations is clear. We are not afraid of resource development, but it must be orderly and done with minimal environmental impact.
But our people have a real stake in resource development. We must have assurances that the environment is not trumped by resource development, and that we can look forward to the next generation and those yet to come. We see the land as our legacy to future generations, not something to be torn up and destroyed as it has been around Uranium City.Now, without the proper environmental assessments we lack the knowledge of the potential impact on the land, air and water. The message from the First Nations is clear. We are not afraid of resource development, but it must be orderly and done with minimal environmental impact.
Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/Protecting+land+future+vital+First+Nations/7171605/story.html#ixzz2DYZJNVoU
Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Nuclear+dangers+real+widespread/7522488/story.html#ixzz2DYY0KISm
Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/Dirty+nukes/7604711/story.html#ixzz2DYX8AMIM
Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/Fantastic+claims/7563558/story.html#ixzz2DYU4WRKQ
