INTERIM: Nuclear Waste Management Policy

Whereas- Canada's nuclear industries, including uranium mining, and CANDU exports are a tremendous long-term health, environmental and safety hazard, due to the biological impacts of radiation, and the highly volatile and deadly nature of radioactive wastes., generated by all reactors.

Whereas- Radioactive wastes have no proven safe method of disposal and consist of some of the most highly toxic substances known to this planet.

Whereas- The nuclear power industry has operated for over half a century and still has not offered a long term viable solution for the problem of radioactive nuclear waste products generated by the nuclear power industry.

Whereas- Radioactive-Waste is currently stored at reactor sites worldwide in spent fuel cooling-ponds (for 10-60yrs) and later dry-storage casks. The dry storage sites are outdoors and open to exposure, including potential attacks from aircraft or missiles.

Whereas- It has been stated that the dry-storage facilities are of great risk to possible terrorist attacks or acts of war. These dry storage sites contain per facility on average enough radioactive material to be equivalent to 500 Hiroshima bombs.

Whereas- Cooling ponds require tremendous amounts of continuously circulating water to keep the spent fuel from thermally igniting.

Whereas- It has been stated that the latest proposed nuclear reactor complex in Canada in Peace River Alberta, will require 1 acre, 3metres deep of manmade cooling pond per megawatt. The reactor is a proposed 4400 megawatt. That is a 4400 acre manmade lake 3 metres deep. This is a staggering use of depleting and precious water reserves.

Whereas- Deep-Geological disposal (burying the waste in sold rock formations in the Canadian Shield) is considered the most viable long-term option for nuclear waste disposal by industry and government, despite being unproven and untested.

Whereas- No technology has thus far been approved to deal with rad-waste. The nuclear industry and government fail to address the severity of the problem by stating that the problem will be left for future generations to care for as the technologies advance.

Whereas- This is a tremendous Burdon to place hundreds of generations of future earth inhabitants. If the cave-men had nuclear reactors, we would still be financially and socially responsible to secure the hazardous waste products generated by their nuclear consumption.

Whereas- Much of the problems in finding a viable option for radioactive waste disposal results from the staggering timelines that radioactive-wastes will need to be contained for. Many of the radioactive elements involved will remain deadly for hundreds to millions of years.

Whereas- The environmental and health impacts imposed by exposure to radioactive materials are severe, including cancers, death, genetic damage and the long tern evacuation of entire land masses in the event of a nuclear accident or attack.

Whereas- After a nuclear power reactor has reached the end of it lifespan it must then be successfully decommissioned, a risky and expensive task not-yet undertaken in Canada.

Whereas- It has been estimated that the cost of decommissioning Canada's aging reactors will be between 8-10 Billion dollars if undertaken today.

Whereas- This task will have to wait as reactors must sit dormant for 100 years before being safely dismantled. These cost estimates will increase dramatically in that time and must be considered as a cost to be undertaken by taxpayers not yet born, along with the management of spent nuclear fuel and other nuclear wastes.

Therefore- The Canadian Action Party calls for a moratorium on nuclear power development in Canada. An example already set by B.C and Québec

A Canadian Action Party government would begin a nuclear phase-out to mitigate the problems associated with a build up of high-level radioactive wastes.

The true cost of managing nuclear wastes must be evaluated by a reliable panel of experts including citizens groups in effected communities and environmental and radiation experts.

A Canadian Action Party government would seek full disclosure from Nuclear Industries and the federal government on the state of contamination in communities across Canada caused by uranium mining, reactor operations, and waste management as these facts have been often concealed under the guise of national security.

A reliable evaluation must be undertaken to accurately surmise the costs associated with long term storage of radioactive wastes and decommissioning of reactors.

It must then be assessed as to the industry liability for the immeasurable economic and social damages sure to be suffered upon the true calculation of these costs.

A Canadian Action Party government would finance (though the BoC) research and development of Canadian solutions for the storage and containment of radioactive waste materials, creating Canadian industries and solutions focused on environmental clean-up, and solving the problems generation by toxins and pollutants.

To further commit to a nuclear-free Canada, CAP would call for a moratorium on Uranium mining and Uranium exports which are used to fuel nuclear reactors and the nuclear arms race abroad.

The CAP would immediately withdraw from the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (envisioned by George, W. Bush) which suggests that uranium exporting countries, like Canada, import and dispose of the toxic radioactive wastes generated by uranium enrichment and weapons production in countries we have exported our uranium to.

The GNEP also would increase the export of Nuclear technologies (such as CANDU reactors) to developing countries. A CAP government would instead focus on and fund the development and export of sustainable technology solutions for the good of mankind and the environmental security of our planet.