Radiation is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is widely misunderstood.
That was the message Dr. Jeremy Whitlock brought to a public meeting last week to discuss the question of whether Creighton should host radioactive waste.
Whitlock, a reactor physicist with a PhD in Engineering Physics, was guest speaker at the Jan. 22 meeting of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC), which is studying nuclear waste storage.
“Radiation has been around since the beginning of the universe 14 billion years ago,” said Whitlock, who is employed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. at Ontario’s Chalk River Laboratories, where the famous CANDU nuclear reactor was invented. “It is something that every living creature has adapted to. In fact we need radiation, in a small amount, in order to stay healthy.”
Addressing some 50 people at the Creighton Community Hall, Whitlock pointed to two “natural nuclear reactors” affecting the planet: the sun and the radioactive decay of uranium at the earth’s core.
He explained how scientists access the incredible amount of energy inside the nucleus of an atom through the process of nuclear fission, and discussed how the uranium that is “born in this cataclysmic reaction” is highly radioactive.
Whitlock discussed methods that minimize human exposure to radiation from the creation of nuclear energy, including processes used to manage fuel bundles after they are removed from the CANDU reactor.
What’s unhealthy?
During the question period, concerned citizen Suzanne Daigle asked Whitlock to explain the point at which radiation becomes unhealthy or dangerous for the human body.
In his response, Whitlock referred to millisieverts. A millisievert is a measure of the absorption of radiation by the human body.
“The dose at which we see the earliest onset of observed negative health effects is about 100 millisieverts, where natural background radiation is about one millisievert per year,” he said. “Where things are observable, where the skin starts to redden like with solar radiation, that is thousands and thousands of times higher than that. You are only going to experience that if you were living in Hiroshima when the bomb went off, or if you are in front of an x-ray machine that’s left on for many minutes by accident.”
Daigle also asked Whitlock to explain how radiation released in nuclear accidents can affect the global environment.
Speaking of the global impacts of the Chernobyl disaster, Whitlock said, “They didn’t have a ‘what-if’ building. The reactor blew its hub and there was no building to contain it, so everything exited the building and went into the stratosphere.”
However, the long-term global impact, in terms of radiation levels, was not dangerous, according to Whitlock.
“We were able to measure that radiation around the northern hemisphere, and the levels of radiation that we measured were much less than the natural levels in the atmosphere.”
Whitlock also commented on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011.
“In Fukushima, where the buildings themselves exploded, the offsite doses are still much less than what would be dangerous, maybe 10 times the natural leve...except for a couple of localized places to the northwest. For the larger population that was exposed to radiation from Fukushima, it was not a dangerous level of radiation.”
Whitlock went on to say that the fear of exposure to radiation poses a greater risk to public health than radiation itself, causing widespread panic.
He said that in the period following the Fukushima explosion, and the government-mandated evacuation period, “4,000 to 6,000 people died because of car accidents, because of health workers scared to death abandoning their posts, and leaving elderly to die in gymnasiums.”
At the end of his presentation, Whitlock demonstrated how scientists can use a Geiger counter to measure levels of radiation in an area or the amount of radiation emitted from an object, such as uranium ore.
He used a Geiger counter to demonstrate ways of reducing exposure to radiation, including using a material that acts as a shield, such as lead, reducing time near the radioactive material and creating greater distance from the radioactive material.
Numerous residents had questions for Whitlock during the question and answer period. Greg East asked about the possible use of waste from nuclear energy in nuclear weapons.
Whitlock, who works in the area of non-proliferation safeguards, responded that while all reactors create plutonium as a byproduct, the plutonium created from the nuclear energy process is not the same type of plutonium used in nuclear weapons.
Pill precaution
Nadine Smart challenged Whitlock’s assertion that regular nuclear power plant operations do not pose a health risk in terms of radiation. She referred to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s recent requirement that Canadian citizens living within 10 km of a plant have iodine pills in their home.
Whitlock responded that the iodine pills are recommended solely as a form of emergency management, in the case of a nuclear accident.
Katie Anderson expressed her concern about leaving a dangerous legacy should containers with radioactive material deteriorate after a million years, or if policies on nuclear waste change in the future.
“I feel we have to keep focused on what we leave for future generations,” said Anderson.
“That sentiment is what attracted me to this [nuclear] industry in the first place,” responded Whitlock. “I am really impressed with the way that, though perhaps not perfectly, at least it is trying to answer those questions…We are one of very few enterprises, the nuclear enterprise, that is asking those questions to that length of time. There are some very good people working on these problems, we love the environment around us and we don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Transparency
Also on the meeting agenda was the topic of financial transparency.
Ron Black, CLC co-chair, responded to concerns about transparency by saying that the CLC has no money, no budget and no bank account.
“We control absolutely no funds and we do not receive any funds,” Black said. “All of us are volunteers. None of us are paid anything for our commitment to this project.”
CLC member and Town of Creighton Alderman Don Aasen spoke on behalf of the Town of Creighton, which has received funds from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the group trying to find a place to store Canada’s nuclear waste.
Aasen referred attendees to an audited financial statement available on the CLC website and at the Town of Creighton office.
The financial statement outlines expenditures made from the NWMO Learn More Fund in 2013 and 2014.
Aasen noted that in 2014, Creighton drew less than $75,000 from an allotted budget of $125,000.
Aasen also mentioned a $400,000 reserve fund that is not included on the financial statement. This amount was given to the Town of Creighton by NWMO as a Community Well-being Reserve Fund, and none of this fund has been spent, Aasen said.
Treaty rights
CLC member Les Oystryk explained he has been conducting research on treaty rights and treaty provisions in the region in relation to the storage of nuclear waste, in response to public requests.
Oystryk said the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in Saskatoon is “prepared and willing” to send a speaker to Creighton to address the CLC and the public on the topic.
Lawrence Joseph, former chief of Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, explained his role as an official liaison between the Aboriginal community and NWMO.
Joseph identified individuals and organizations that are seeking more information on the subject of a nuclear waste repository, including the Prince Albert Grand Council, which represents 12 nations such as Cumberland House and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.
Joseph highlighted the need for continued dialogue and fact-finding on the issue of nuclear waste storage.
Speakers
In terms of future CLC meetings, Black said the committee has received numerous requests from the community to invite Dr. Gordon Edwards, a leading anti-nuclear activist, as a guest speaker.
Black confirmed the CLC was working to secure Edwards for a presentation in the coming months.
Black noted the committee has identified 13 different topics for discussion in future public meetings, based on questions raised by citizens.
These topics and upcoming speakers will be posted on the CLC website at www.clcinfo.ca/creighton.
