Read this statement from Mark Mattson, President, Swim Drink Fish CanadaLake Ontario Waterkeeper on Canada's Nuclear Problem
- porthopehealthconc
- 1 day ago
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Unmasking Canada’s Nuclear Problems: We Need to Look Beyond the Sales Pitch
“We are the generation that has to get this straight.”
When Dr. Jim Harding—author, former professor, and environmental health researcher—spoke those words to the community of Port Hope in 2008, they served as a sobering wake-up call. Fast forward to today, and his warning feels more urgent than ever.
Currently, Ontario is in the midst of a massive nuclear push. From refurbishing aging plants to commissioning "Small Modular Reactors" (SMRs), the province is betting big on nuclear power. The catch? Ratepayers are footing the bill for these multi-billion dollar decisions without a comprehensive public hearing into the economics, safety, or long-term wisdom of such a massive expansion.
This decisions is too vital to the health of Lake Ontario and the future of Canadians to be left solely to the industry’s salesmen. It is time to re-educate ourselves. To help cut through the marketing, let’s start by re-revisiting the critical health and safety facts Dr. Harding brought to light at a community meeting over 15 years ago along the shores of Lake Ontario.
1. The "Invisible" Evidence in Our Bodies
One of the most chilling revelations from Harding’s research involved "citizen science." In 2008, residents of Port Hope—home to a major uranium processing facility now owned by Cameco, raised money through bake sales to fund independent testing.
The results were alarming: industrial uranium was found in the bodies of those tested. Most notably, they discovered Uranium-236, an isotope linked to spent nuclear waste. Despite its presence in residents, this isotope had never been officially declared in public regulatory reports. It raises a haunting question: if the government isn't looking for it, how can they claim we are safe?
2. The "ALARA" Deception
In the nuclear industry, you will often hear the acronym ALARA: As Low As Reasonably Achievable. While it sounds responsible, Dr. Harding argues it’s actually a "code word" for industrial protection.
By defining what is "reasonable" based on the cost to the industry rather than absolute biological safety, standards for substances like Radon and Tritium in Canada have remained dangerously high—sometimes 10 times higher than international recommendations. Harding suggests these benchmarks exist to protect the viability of the industry, not the longevity of the public.
3. A Global Front Line of Harm
Canada is a global nuclear powerhouse. Saskatchewan produces roughly 38% of the world’s uranium supply, which is then shipped to Port Hope to be turned into fuel for CANDU reactors worldwide.
But this supply chain leaves a trail of costs and devastation:
* In Port Hope: Billions of dollars are being spent on a massive cleanup of radioactive waste spread throughout the community, now destined for a landfill along the 401 highway.
* In India: Near uranium operations, villagers face statistically higher rates of birth deformations, increased sterility, and significantly shortened lifespans.
* In Conflict Zones: Depleted uranium from the enrichment process often finds its way into international weaponry, extending the toxic legacy of Canadian mining to the other side of the world.
Plus, the burden of spent fuel from reactors.
4. Choosing Our Future: Water Over Wealth
As Ontario considers building new reactors or restoring our waterfronts, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Dr. Harding compares the current silence surrounding nuclear health risks to the decades it took for authorities to admit the dangers of asbestos, lead, and benzene.
"Money is not the bottom line," Harding concluded. "The bottom line is water."
If we are to be the generation that "gets this straight," we must demand transparency, independent oversight, and a transition that prioritizes our ecological health over short-term economic gains. A full environmental hearing, similar to the Demand Supply Plan hearing in 1992, is required before approving more nuclear plants.
Listen to the Source:
To hear Dr. Jim Harding’s full, provocative presentation on the realities of the nuclear industry, you can listen to the original recording here:
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