Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility |
Regroupement pour la surveillance du nucléaire |
Excerpts from:A Race Against Time |
[ Such "an independent review committee, consisting of internationally recognized ecologists" (p.73) has never been established. ]
Excerpts from:The Expansion of the Uranium Mines |
Excerpts from:Report of the Federal |
Bentonite clay has been known as a sealant for at least ten years but has never been used routinely as a waterproof blanket anywhere in the world. It has been a successful sealant under municipal landfill sites, but it has only been used in this way for a few years. Scientific data on its use is sparse and pilot experiments have not yet been carried out. Eldorado proposed to modify the bentonite with the addition of sand. This mixture, it was indicated, would be a better sealant. No long-term tests are available to confirm this.
Eldorado proposed to protect the integrity of the bentonite blanket with an overlay of 1.7 metres of fill to reduce the risk of penetration by roots and by burrowing animals. There was no evidence that this would ensure the integrity of the blanket. Furthermore, the effects of freak weather conditions such as prolonged drought, freezing, or wet conditions cannot be determined without extensive field testing. It was indicated by ENL (Eldorado Nuclear Limited) that, eventually, the bentonite blanket probably would break down, but that any resultant escape of pollutants would be insignificant. The area's complex hydrogeology casts further doubt on the validity of the waste management proposal.
Excerpts from:Report to the President |
Excerpts from:"NRC Regulation of the |
Excerpts from:"Geologic Disposal of |