An infrared photo of a high-level radioactive waste rail shipment. The high temperature of such shipments, however, is the least of our worries. A severe accident, or attack, involving such a shipment could breach the container, leading to disastrous releases of hazardous radioactivity. This is true for solid irradiated fuel shipments, but all the more so for unprecedented, unanalyzed liquid HLRW truck transports.Grassroots opposition is mounting against a proposal to conduct the unprecedented transportation of liquid high-level radioactive wastes (HLRWs) from Chalk River, Ontario, Canada to Savannah River Site, South Carolina, U.S.A. Although some 2,500 to 3,000 shipments of irradiated nuclear fuel in solid form have occurred in the U.S. since the 1940s, never before has liquid HLRW been shipped. The risks of a disastrous environmental release due to a severe accident would be even higher for liquid shipments than for solid shipments.
In addition, the shipments would be associated with the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. James David Ballard, an expert on terrorism, testified in federal court in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1999 that DOE high-level radioactive waste shipments are at increased risk of terrorist attack because they are associated with the U.S. federal government's nuclear program. Dr. Ballard was testifying as an expert witness on behalf of a U.S.-Canadian-First Nations grassroots coalition opposed to solid weapons-grade plutonium mixed oxide fuel truck shipments from Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.A. to Chalk River.
The most likely shipment route for these liquid HLRW trucks is from Ontario into upstate New York, such as at Buffalo and/or Niagara Falls. However, for security reasons, the border crossings could vary, occurring elsewhere in New York, or even other states.
Dr. Gordon Edwards of Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility has prepared a backgrounder on these proposed liquid HLRW truck shipments, a resolution in opposition, and list of resolution endorsers.
As of July 2, 2013, 91 groups had endorsed the resolution. If your group would like to endorse the resolution, please email Dr. Edwards at Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility: ccnr@web.ca.
In addition, please contact your U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative, and President Obama. (You can phone your Members of Congress via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.) Urge them to block these unprecedented, high-risk shipments.