Nuclear watchdog blamed for leaving Port Hope at risk

[five_alarm]

TORONTO, ON - Lax enforcement of fire-safety standards by Canada's nuclear watchdog has left thousands of Ontario residents at risk of radiation and toxic fumes from two uranium processing plants, environmentalists and civic officials said Wednesday.

While the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Nuclear_Safety_Commission) has known about the dangers at plants for years, people in Port Hope east of Toronto are still without a fire department able to deal with fires involving hazardous materials...

...Cameco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameco_Corporation) has provided training to off-site emergency responders, "including a number of volunteer firefighters from the Port Hope Fire Department (http://www.firehall.com/index2.php?item=6091),'' the report noted. But Frank Haylow, chief of the town's 56-member volunteer fire department, said Wednesday his men simply cannot handle a fire involving hazardous materials. While Cameco has provided some training, the department still has no specialized hazardous materials gear, he said.

Source: canada.com (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5b85b3fc-f952-4030-a445-410adff112fb&k=86531)

[five_alarm]

PORT HOPE, ON - Nothing has changed in the 16 months since it came to light about Cameco's inability to fight fires outside its fence line, says the Families Against Radiation Exposure (FARE) president.

At a recent Port Hope council meeting, FARE president John Miller asked council to send a letter to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) demanding the community's two nuclear-related industries, Cameco Corporation and Zircatec Precision Industries, be brought into compliance with federal and provincial fire safety standards. Council has referred Mr. Miller's comments to both the municipal steering committee charged with examining firefighting abilities at the two facilities and the peer review team hired to look at the issues on the municipality's behalf.

However, Cameco spokesman Doug Prendergast says tremendous progress has been made in addressing any gaps in fire protection and emergency response capabilities.

Source: durhamregion.com (http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/nn/news/story/3326510p-3850261c.html)