Greenpeace calls for tougher radiation standards

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.