The Greenpeace report, Tritium Hazard Report: Pollution and
Radiation Risk from Canadian Nuclear Facilities, urges a reduction
of tritium discharges from Ontario's reactors and calls on the
government to establish a committee of stakeholders to study recent
scientific evidence on the health hazards posed by tritium. Because
of these hazards, the report also recommends alerting the public
when levels of tritium in drinking water increase, and advising
young children and pregnant women against living near nuclear
reactors.
"If the McGuinty government is going to spend $40 billion
rebuilding aging and tritium emitting nuclear reactors, it should
also protect the health of Ontarians by forcing Ontario Power
Generation to reduce and eventually eliminate tritium emissions,"
said Shawn-Patrick Stensil, an energy and climate campaigner with
Greenpeace.
In 1994, Ontario's Advisory Committee on Environmental Standards
(ACES) recommended that allowable levels of tritium in drinking
water be lowered immediately from 7000 bequerels per litre (Bq/L)
to 100 Bq/L, and then further reduced to 20 Bq/L within five years.
The government rejected this recommendation and sided with Ontario
Hydro, which had claimed it would cost $1 billion to reduce tritium
levels to these levels.
In 2006, the City of Toronto expressed concern about tritium
discharges From OPG reactors and passed a resolution asking the
McGuinty government to strengthen tritium standards to the level
recommended by the ACES.
"By European protection standards, tritium emissions from
Ontario's nuclear reactors would be considered hazardous and
unacceptable" said Dr. Fairlie, an independent consultant on
radiation who authored the report. "Recent scientific evidence
shows tritium to be more hazardous than previously thought. Ontario
should adopt a precautionary approach and act to reduce public
exposures to tritium."
Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that is created in
nuclear reactors. Like all radioactive substances, tritium causes
cancer and birth defects. Ontario's Candu nuclear reactors emit
much higher levels of tritium into the air and water than other
reactor types.
Dr. Fairlie has degrees in chemistry and radiation biology and
completed his doctoral studies at the Imperial College in London,
England. He has worked with the World Health Organization, the
European Parliament, and acted as advisor to several United Kingdom
regulatory agencies and committees.
VVPR info: Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Greenpeace energy campaigner, 416-884-7053 (French & English)Jane Story, Greenpeace communications officer, 416-930-9055