Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Mark Mattson to Speak at St. Catharine's Centennial Library

Free Public Meeting  

Thursday February 12th  8 p.m. St. Catharines Centennial Public Library  

SPEAKER:  MARK MATTSON,  President Lake Ontario Waterkeeper 

TOPIC:  RISKS TO THE GREAT LAKES FROM NUCLEAR POWER 

According to  Mark Mattson,  founder and President of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, all of the Great Lakes are increasingly being put  at risk by a plethora of nuclear uses.

“ For decades, nuclear power plants... have dotted the Lake Ontario shoreline . They have been responsible for massive fish kills and groundwater contamination. Their industrial footprint has contributed to the overall decline of Lake Ontario, which now has the worst coastal wetland health on the Great Lakes.”

Some of the most obvious nuclear threats today  are (radiated water) tritium releases, the possible 54 year life extension of the oldest and most  dangerous Pickering B  nuclear plant, proposed  new plants at Darlington, the Bruce and possibly Nanticoke, and a nuclear waste dump on the shores of Lake Huron. 

A huge barrier for Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and others such as  the Provincial Council of Women of Ontario,  lies in the weakness of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.  As Mr. Mattson said recently, “ It is a struggle to ensure that Federal regulators  properly assess the potential environmental impacts of these projects.”   

As an example Mr. Mattson drew attention to Waterkeeper’s  December 2008 brief to the  Commission, regarding the refurbishment and 54 year life extension of the Pickering B nuclear plant,  which   warned  that the increased water temperatures from nuclear plants, “ causes an unmitigated impact on fish and fish habitat”, and that “ Tritium pollution poses an unreasonable and unmitigated threat to ground and surface water.”

Despite these strong cautions and others regarding risk of accidents, terrorism and earthquakes near a heavily populated area,  CNSC agreed with the weak  Ontario Power Generation Environmental Assessment terms of reference .

As Ontario appears poised to enter a new nuclear era, the public needs to be aware of the growing nuclear risks and of the work that groups such as Lake Ontario Waterkeeper do  to protect communities around the Great Lakes and their very special environments.  

Mr. Mattson will be speaking at 8 p.m,  Thursday February 12th at the St. Catharines  Centennial Library 54 Church St. 

Sponsored by the 20 Affiliated member groups of the St. Catharines and District