“Concern” is an imprecise word, especially when used in the context of health risks. Its synonyms are “anxiety”, “fear”, “apprehension”, and even “alarm”. However, to be “unconcerned” can be misconstrued to mean being indifferent, or nonchalant. In the lead-up to the BWXT re-licencing hearings scheduled for March, it’s been a struggle to find the right words to convey clearly and succinctly our best assessment of risk for city of Peterborough residents, especially those living in proximity to the plant that manufactures fuel rods for the CANDU nuclear reactors.
Perhaps “Informed” may be a good word to start with. As part of our assessment, the toxicology profiles for both uranium and beryllium have been carefully reviewed. So too the monographs released by the International Agency for Research in Cancer, and the technical science behind the establishment of current health protective guidelines and limits for air, water and soil. Scrutiny of available data on emissions and associated radiation dose shows that releases of uranium and beryllium have been far below the established limits. This is supported by testing of air and water which have, more often than not, been unable to detect the presence of these substances. Objective measurements of the radiation dose to the general public indicate it has been zero. We’ve produced a report, now available on our website, where we are also posting answers to community questions, as a way to keep everyone informed and up to date.
“Reassured” may be the best way to capture our overall assessment. We are confident that the international system created to protect the general public from the harms of radiation is being adhered to here in our own community. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is tasked with keeping the public dose of radiation below the internationally recommended 1 milliSievert per year and this has indeed been the case for BWXT, at both its Toronto and Peterborough sites. Reassurance is strengthened and supported by objective data, and for this reason, we are requesting more data, shared in an open and timely way, in order to build the trust that is lacking.
The legacy of mistrust between communities and industry is not just a Peterborough phenomenon. Historically, wherever cheap hydroelectricity was available, industry set up operations, at a time and in a way that often had negative impacts on workers and left an enduring and contaminated footprint in the hosting communities. There are brownfields to be found across Ontario, often near the rivers that fueled generators that powered the plants. Rates of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lining of the lungs, are still higher in communities like Peterborough, where asbestos was used by many industries. Families have lost loved ones to occupational injuries and diseases. This trauma will take generations to heal – we should not be surprised that this has surfaced in this debate. It’s been painful to hear, and not always directly relevant, but it can’t be overlooked. It reminds us that we need to be diligent, cautious and cognizant that the decisions we make today will have repercussions for generations to come. By providing funding to groups like CARN and Curve Lake First Nation in order to support them to be interveners in the upcoming hearings, the CNSC is ensuring that everyone’s voice will be heard. And the decision to create a Community Liaison Committee here in Peterborough, announced on BWXT’s website last month, is a welcome development.
There are more reasons to be reassured: now that PPH has visited the Toronto BWXT site, we understand better the uranium pelleting process, and the controls already in place to reduce the risk for both workers and the community. The storage of liquid hydrogen does not pose an explosive risk – and there is an automated shut-off system should a leak be detected.
“Puzzled” is probably the best way to express our finding of what appears to be an upward trend in beryllium concentrations in soil. The levels are very low, still below the established guideline that was put into place in 1991 by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and recently reviewed in 2015. The 1991 guideline is almost twenty times lower than the level actually determined to be protective of human health. But the results raise questions that in the interest of public safety need to be answered so that we can be confident that the operations at BWXT are indeed “safe”.
Which brings me to probably the best word to end on: “Safe”. Am I safe? Is my child safe? Are we safe? To that, I can state that the BWXT facility operates with an abundance of safety built right into its design, its administration and its culture. Safety is an active process, and depending on how rigorously it is maintained, it can also be seen an opportunity to build – or break – community trust.
By Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, Peterborough Public Health
