U.S. Senator Russ Feingold thanked for his leadership against radioactive waste risks

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin.The Honorable Russ Feingold, Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was just thanked by Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps in an op-ed, published in the Madison, WI Cap Times, for his leadership in opposing the risks of radioactive waste transporation on the Great Lakes, as well as radioactive waste "recycling" into consumer products. Sen. Feingold led a group of 7 Democratic U.S. Senators from across the Great Lakes to fire off strong letters to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, questioning the proposal by Bruce Nuclear of Ontario to ship 16 giant, radioactive steam generators to Sweden. Sen. Feingold, who has served Wisconsin for 18 years in the U.S. Senate, just lost his re-election bid on Nov. 2nd. He and his stellar staff will be sorely missed.

Erie, PA Times-News: "Kamps: Casey joins effort to protect lakes"

U.S. Senator Robert Casey, Jr., Democrat from Pennsylvania.The Erie, Pennsylvania Times-News online edition has published an op-ed by Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps, praising U.S. Robert Casey, Jr. (Democrat-Pennsylvania) for his opposition to the proposed shipment of 16 radioactive steam generators from Canada to Sweden via the Great Lakes for so-called "recycling" into consumer products. A similar op-ed by Kevin appeared in the Buffalo News on Nov. 4th, thanking U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrats from New York) for likewise protecting the Great Lakes from radioactive waste transportation, and questioning the wisdom of "recycling" radioactive waste into consumer products.

50 municipalities, representing over 2 million Québec residents, opposed to radioactive steam generator shipment on St. Lawrence River

Beyond Nuclear ally Michel Fugère in Québec reports that Gaetan Ruest, Mayor of Amqui and head of the 300 municipalities  endorsing the "Municipal Regroupement in Québec," yesterday made a supplemental submission (in French) to the CNSC. The updated number of municipalities endorsing resolutions ("The Fate of Nuclear Power in Québec: A Choice for Society!" and "Resolution to ban the transport of radioactive steam generators via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence," both also in French) against the Bruce Power radioactive steam generator shipment, as of November 20th, 2010, is 50 municipalities. Additionally, 5 MRC have endorsed the resolution. Altogether, these municipalities represent 455,000 people. Adding Montréal, which has its own resolution against the Bruce proposal, then over 2 million people in Québec, out of a total population of about 7.5 million in Canada's second most populous province, are represented through their municipal leaders in opposition to the radioactive steam generator shipment.

Broad coalition submits supplementary comments to CNSC opposing radioactive steam generator shipment on the Great Lakes

A broad environmental and public interest coalition of groups from both the U.S. and Canada has again voiced its opposition to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) opposing Bruce Power's proposal to ship 16 radioactive steam generators on the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean to Sweden for so-called "recycling." A media release was issued by the coalition. Dr. Gordon Edwards, President of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility and Canadian co-chair of the Great Lakes United Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force submitted supplemental comments, again emphasizing that the proposed shipment's cargo is mostly plutonium, hardly "low-level" radioactive waste of "no risk" to the public and environment as alleged by CNSC. Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear, and a member of the GLU Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force, also submitted supplementary comments (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3), emphasizing the nationwide and growing coalition calling for "hardened on-site storage" for radioactive wastes rather than risky transport for no good reason -- such as so-called "recycling" of radioactive materials into consumer products, which carries its own radiological risks for the population at large. Michael Keegan, chair of the Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, called upon CNSC for a Full Panel Review, the top level environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Ziggy Kleinau, on behalf of the Bruce Peninsula Environment Group, called for an independent full panel review five years ago, and also submitted supplemental comments yesterday.

Radioactive cargo to travel the Great Lakes is mostly plutonium

Beyond Nuclear has joined with the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (CCNR, Quebec), Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination (Michigan), and Radioactive Waste Management Associates (Vermont) to issue a press release warning that Bruce [Nuclear] Power's and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's description of 16 steam generators targeted to transit the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River as "low-level radioactive waste" is misleading. The cargo is actually mostly ultra-hazardous plutonium, as explained in a concise one-page backgrounder prepared by Dr. Gordon Edwards, President of CCNR.