Cameco's lenient licence standards threaten water quality

Cameco Corporation has applied for a renewed five-year licence for its uranium conversion facility in Port Hope, Ontario. The plant is located at the heart of one of Lake Ontario’s most historic and environmentally vulnerable harbours. For decades, nuclear-related industrial pollution has affected water quality and the natural environment in and around Port Hope.

Waterkeeper filed a written intervention with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission asking that the licence address the following concerns in order to protect the environment:

1. The licence should address stormwater emissions from the site, which currently contain more than twice the CNSC’s internal limit on uranium discharges.

2. The licence should include discharge limits for all other effluent sources, including non-contact cooling water. These limits should be commensurate with federal and provincial standards for the protection of aquatic life.

3. The licence should not permit the discharge of process effluent to the environment.

Read Waterkeeper's full comment here.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will hold a one-day hearing public hearing on January 18, 2012. There are hundreds of public interventions available from the Commission upon request. Documents and webcast information are here.