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JUNE 13th , 2008 |
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IN THIS ISSUE: 1) SHABOT OBAADJIWAN FIRST NATION AND ONTARIO TO CONSULT ON URANIUM EXPLORATION 2) FRONTENAC VENTURES CORP. TO FACE CHARGES LAID BY MNR 3) DONNA DILLMAN QUESTIONS CONSTANT POLICE PRESENCE 4) DONNA DILLMAN TAKES URANIUM MESSAGE ON THE ROAD 5) URANIUM: LOTS OF SPECULATION, BUT NO DRILLING, THUS FAR 6) NO RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP IN THE HEART OF THE GREAT LAKES! 7) ONLINE PETITION AGAINST PROPOSED NUCLEAR DUMP 9) HELEN FORSEY RESPONDS TO THE GOVERNMENT'S APPOLOGY TO CANADA'S ABORIGINAL PEOPLE 10) ARTICLE: AECL SET TO SOAR: CARR 11) DONNA DILLMAN'S RESPONSE TO: AECL SET TO SOAR
June, 13 2008 Shabot Obaadjiwan
Traditional Territory Today the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation won a key concession from Ontario in its efforts to protect the environment and citizens of their traditional territory. Ontario, the Shabot Obaadjiwan Algonquin, and the Algonquin of Ontario, with the support of Frontenac Ventures Corporation, are developing a consultation process that will allow them to share information and engage in dialogue towards resolving the issues regarding the uranium exploration project. The parties have agreed to focus on health, safety, and environmental concerns, as well as Algonquin Aboriginal values. In an agreed statement the parties declared, "We intend this to be a true dialogue, with opportunities to listen and through respectful relations to make a new beginning at addressing each other's concerns and interests." This agreement came on the same day that Ontario disclosed it has laid charges against Frontenac Ventures and Gemmill Sand and Gravel Limited with breach of environmental regulations. Road construction permitting access to the proposed uranium drill sites has damaged the sensitive wetlands in the area, dumping fill into the waterways severing the natural flow of the water. The two companies will have to answer these charges 7 August 2008 in Provincial Court in Kingston Ontario. Chief Doreen Davis of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation said, "We are pleased to see these steps taken by the Government and will continue to press for the protection of the environment and citizens of the region. "We feel these, and anticipated outcomes, vindicate our choice to pursue a legal strategy." For Further
Information Contact: 2) FRONTENAC VENTURES CORP. TO FACE CHARGES LAID BY MNR Dear Marilyn, Your recent email was forwarded to me by Vince Ewing, Bancroft District Manager, for a reply. The Ministry of Natural Resources has recently laid charges for work conducted on Crown land in Palmerston Township , in the vicinity of the area locally known as Robertsville. Frontenac Ventures Corporation and Gemmill Sand and Gravel Limited will appear in Provincial Court in Kingston on August 7, 2008 to answer to these charges. Since the case is before the courts, I am not in a position to discuss the details at this time. Sincerely, Kyle Cachagee (Editor's Note: CCAMU encourages people to keep writing to Vince Ewing and Kyle Cachagee at vince.ewing@ontario.ca. It is important that FVC is held accountable for these infractions.-LD) 3) DONNA DILLMAN QUESTIONS CONSTANT POLICE PRESENCE I continue to find it maddening that the OPP is maintaining a fairly constant presence at the uranium exploration site on Hwy 509 at Robertsville. What is it about the interlocutory injunction that continues to give Frontenac Ventures free round-the-clock police protection when the ongoing protest presence at the site ended months ago, and when there has never, ever, been any kind of threat to personnel at the site. What is this costing the public? Compare that to someone who has gone through the court system to obtain a peace bond or restraining order because their life has actually been threatened. Even though such a court order may require that the named individual maintain a certain distance, just as is the case with the interlocutory injunction, no police officer stands on guard 24/7 to guarantee compliance. If such were the case, I know of people who would still be alive today. What's with the double standard? Donna Dillman 4) DONNA DILLMAN TAKES URANIUM MESSAGE ON THE ROAD On June 18th Donna Dillman, the grandmother who refused food for 68 days, to protest uranium exploration in eastern Ontario, takes to the road again with the "No Uranium" message. She and her husband, Mike Nickerson, author of "Life, Money & Illusion; Living on Earth as if we want to Stay," will visit over 75 towns and cities as they cross Canada and the US this year. Their tour is titled "Living on Earth as if we want to stay." Uranium exploration and mining, and making electricity and bombs from uranium, is not a part of the sustainability vision. They will
start from North Bay on June 18th and travel to Nanaimo and Salt Spring
Island by month's end. July will find them traveling through the US from
west to east, and they head to eastern Canada in September. Along the
way they will stop in regions that are current hot spots in regard to
the uranium question, including: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and
Michigan. Details at www.SustainWellBeing.net
(For the venue nearest you, or anyone you think might be interested click
on the 'Tour' link, then on As you are likely aware, Donna, CCAMU's facilitator, has been very active in the effort to prevent uranium exploration from taking place at Robertsville, ON, an hour and a half west, and upriver from Ottawa. See www.ccamu.ca Her story comes up early in the big picture presentation that she and Mike speak to. Obviously, uranium is one of the elements/chemicals that we do not want to load into the biomass from which all life builds its physical forms. And, in
regard to the big picture, this from Mike: Cures do not result from treating
symptoms. The cause must be addressed. Donna and Mike are touring with his book, Life, Money & Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay." The book details the differing views on how to be successful in our changing times. One, the "Life" perspective, says we need to preserve and enhance ecosystems and communities, the other, the "Money" perspective, says we need to continuously expand production and consumption. The events are a talk and discussion about how these two approaches differ significantly on how to deal with today's most serious problems. Uranium exploration and mining, and nuclear energy are tools that advance the money option. "Life, Money & Illusion" outlines new ways of organizing mutual provision (the economy) and a change in priorities that can lead to a long and fulfilling future. Donna also goes into some detail on the various protest actions that have been successful locally and they hope to learn from others about what has worked elsewhere. The result
of Donna's 68 day refusal to eat was a commitment by several of Canada's
major environmental organizations to sponsor a Citizens' Inquiry into
the Impacts of the Uranium Cycle. The material gathered through that inquiry
is now available at the "Submissions Received" link at: www.uraniumcitizensinquiry.com.
Donna and Mike are looking for a home away from home for Mori beginning June 18th as they head off on the western leg of their tour. You might remember Mori (short for moratorium) as the young smokey grey cat who showed up at the site on a dark, rainy, Sunday night. While (unlike Donna) she was extremely thirsty and hungry, she was full of love and was taken in, and, eventually, taken home by Donna prior to her move to Queen's Park. Mori has had her shots and is fixed. Please email Donna directly, before the 18th, if you have temporary room in your heart and home for Mori, who comes with food, litter and litter box. Thanks. 5) URANIUM: LOTS OF SPECULATION, BUT NO DRILLING, THUS FAR http://www.newsweb.ca/2008/08-23_jun_12/uranium_08-23.html By Jeff Green The rumour mill has been working on overdrive this week ever since it was reported that a pickup truck bearing the insignia of a drilling company was seen entering the gate at the Robertsville mine over the weekend. A further report on Monday that a drill has been spotted behind the gate led to a strong reaction from both CCAMU (Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium) and the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation. Both groups said they had independent confirmation that a drill has been brought onto the site. A release from CCAMU on Tuesday said the group is "outraged that Frontenac Ventures Corporation (FVC) insists on proceeding with drilling for uranium, when the community will never allow the development of a mine at Robertsville." The release also expressed support for the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation "in their effort to intervene through legal and political channels," and to the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation "in their call for FVC to remove their personnel and equipment forthwith." However, in a telephone interview with the News on Tuesday morning, Frontenac Ventures President George White did not confirm that a drill has been brought onto the site. "There have been drilling company people walking the site, and we have brought in some heavy equipment to carry out our extensive exploration program," he said. "Maybe that's what they saw." White would not however, categorically deny that a drill has been brought on to the site. "We have every right to carry out our exploration program, including drilling, according to Justice Cunningham's ruling of September 27, 2007," White said. About a month ago, according to White, Frontenac Ventures conducted a new radiometric survey of the exploration property using flyovers at precise intervals over the site, and a team of geologists is continuing to analyse data to pinpoint the most likely locations of what he calls a "marketable resource". He said, "We should have some very interesting results to announce shortly". As to the role of the drilling program that has been the focus of concern for the Algonquin communities, CCAMU supporters and others, White pointed that while the work schedule approved by the courts calls for 106 drill holes, "drilling costs $200 a foot, and it's a real crap shoot. Drilling 106 150 metre holes would cost over $3 million. We are trying to pinpoint where we need to drill to confirm our other information so we aren't spending money unwisely." He did confirm, however, that some drilling will be required to complete the exploration plans. "It's a huge property, 30,000 acres, and although it was explored in the past no one ever did a systematic, complete job, which we are doing," he said. While George White continues to press on, the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation and their legal team have been meeting in person and electronically with representatives from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, and the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs to "try and set up a pilot project for genuine consultation," said Doreen Davis. A court date has been set before a judge in Kingston, on May 25, for Shabot Obaadjiwan lawyer Stephen Reynolds to ask for a stay of Justice Cunningham's injunction so his own court motion, filed on June 2, can be heard. Reynolds' motion is an attempt to force the province to consult with his client. If the pilot project is confirmed, the court proceedings instigated by Shabot, including the June 25 hearing, will be withdrawn. Davis remains adamant that no drilling can take place or the entire project will fall apart. George White said he has not been involved in any negotiations with the province. "Frontenac Ventures has had no meetings, directly or indirectly, with the Government of Ontario. They tried to set up a meeting about a month ago, but it never happened," he said. 6) NO RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP IN THE HEART OF THE GREAT LAKES! Action Alert No Radioactive Waste Dump in the Heart of the Great Lakes ! The proposal to build a deep underground dump (DUD) for radioactive wastes on the shoreline of the Great Lakes is unacceptable. Water is the most likely dispersal medium for toxic materials in general, and for radioactive wastes in particular. Nevertheless, that's what is being considered at the Bruce nuclear complex on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. The DUD would be located just over one kilometre (less than one mile) from the Lake, and would house all of the radioactive wastes from 20 commercial nuclear power reactors in Ontario - with the exception of the irradiated nuclear fuel. It was recently reported that the Canadian Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) wants to manage the DUD project. But the NWMO deals exclusively with the long-term management of irradiated nuclear fuel, and has nothing whatever to do with other categories of nuclear waste materials. Does the NWMO's involvement mean that the proposed DUD will eventually become a permanent repository for high-level radioactive waste -- making it the " Yucca Mountain " of the Great Lakes region? The Bruce nuclear complex currently hosts nine reactors (one of them permanently shut down), with proposals for four more. This would make it the largest nuclear power complex in the world. Already there are 500 outdoor silos for the "interim storage" of irradiated nuclear fuel about one kilometre from Lake Huron, and there are plans to build 2,000 more. Since the DUD is only 50 miles from Michigan across Lake Huron, leakage of radioactivity from the dump could directly affect tens of millions of residents in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, and contaminate the drinking water in Port Huron, Sarnia, Detroit, Windsor, Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Toronto and countless other communities downstream. Thus, this DUD proposal is not just a Canadian issue, but an international one. In 1986, Canada protested when the U.S. proposed a high-level radioactive waste dump in Vermont because it was too close to the Canadian border; that proposed dump was subsequently cancelled. Now it is time for U.S. residents to speak out. The Canadian DUD proposal sets a dangerous precedent for the establishment of perpetually hazardous facilities on the Great Lakes, and impacts people on both sides of the border. The successful emplacement of the DUD for so-called "low" and "intermediate" level radioactive wastes from across Ontario - and potentially from the rest of Canada - will create a threat to the Great Lakes watershed for generations to come. It will also increase the likelihood of the Bruce site becoming a permanent disposal dump for high-level radioactive wastes (i.e. irradiated nuclear fuel), which would increase the risks by many orders of magnitude. Alarming as this proposal is, the process for assessing its environmental impact is also cause for grave concern. In Canada, environmental panels reviewing proposed nuclear facilities have always been independent of the nuclear establishment -- until now. But for the DUD, the Government of Canada intends to place the review panel under the control of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) which is the regulatory authority for licensing nuclear facilities in Canada. Six months ago, the President of the CNSC was fired by the Canadian federal government for being too strict in her enforcement of reactor safety regulations. The new CNSC President has clear instructions to fast-track all nuclear regulatory approval processes. No environmental assessment panel will be credible if it is dominated by this highly politicized regulatory agency. Despite the conflict of interest, the CNSC stands ready to chair the environmental assessment panel and to fill two of its three positions. CNSC's domination of the Full Panel Review is unprecedented, and will undermine the panel's credibility. We urge CNSC's exclusion from the Panel, so the panel's independence is assured. We ask that the public comment deadline be extended for six months beyond June 18th. Given the longevity and the unprecedented nature of the hazard that the DUD represents for the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, as well as the minimal outreach to the United States and Native American/First Nations that the Canadian federal government has undertaken, this extension request is reasonable. Sincerely, Gordon Edwards
(Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, Montreal , Quebec ) and
Michael Keegan (Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, Monroe , Michigan
) Great Lakes United Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force 7) ONLINE PETITION AGAINST PROPOSED NUCLEAR DUMP Hi folks, Progress Michigan has launched an online petition against a proposed nuclear dump 1/2 mile from Lake Huron in Canada and a massive oil refinery in Sarnia. Unfortunately, at first, Canadians couldn't sign the petition. It wouldn't take the Canadian zip codes. That is all fixed, now and Canadians can sign on! The nuclear
dump will take waste from 20 Canadian reactors and have to store it and
isolate it from the environment for hundreds of years. Lake Huron is a
drinking water source for millions of people in Michigan. You can sign the petition at: www.greatlakesnotadump.com. Please pass the link on to friends and neighbors. Kay Cumbow, Michigan Support
Moratorium On Uranium Mining PETERBOROUGH - At this Monday's city council meeting, Peterborough may become the 20th municipality in southern Ontario to sign on to the growing list of cities, counties and townships that have rejected the idea of uranium mining. A resolution submitted by Safe And Green Energy Peterborough (SAGE) is asking the City of Peterborough to petition the province to initiate an immediate moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in the Otonabee River watershed. At last Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting, it was moved that the resolution go to council vote on June 16th. The submission to council was prompted by the seven known uranium exploration projects underway within the Otonabee River watershed in Haliburton County , directly upstream from Peterborough . At least one project bears real potential of becoming an operating uranium mine. All five Haliburton County municipalities have recently passed similar moratorium resolutions. Information supporting the resolution underlines the possible impacts of uranium mining on Peterborough. Of particular concern is that the Otonabee River supplies the City of Peterborough with all of its drinking water. The Serpent River near Elliot Lake is considered contaminated for a distance of over 100 kilometres downstream due to abandoned uranium mining operations. People are cautioned not to drink the water or consume fish from this segment of the river. "The communities and businesses along the watercourse between Haliburton County and Peterborough should also be concerned," commented Roy Brady of SAGE. "That includes almost all of the Kawartha Lakes region." The Otonabee River and the Kawartha Lakes constitute major segments of the Trent-Severn Waterway, which is routed directly through the City of Peterborough. This recreational waterway is central to overnight visitor activity in the Peterborough area, which includes close to 300,000 overnight boating visitors per year. Within the 19 municipalities that have passed resolutions against uranium mining, about a million Ontarians have been represented on this issue. The Peterborough resolution goes to council vote on Monday, June 16th at 6:30 pm, Peterborough City Hall , 500 George Street North . For further
information, contact: 9) HELEN FORSEY RESPONDS TO THE GOVERNMENT'S APPOLOGY TO CANADA'S ABORIGINAL PEOPLE Dear Editor, I am listening, as I write, to radio coverage of the government's apology for the racist cruelty of the residential school system. What strikes me is the profound contradiction between these long-awaited words and the local reality I see around me right now. Here in my part of Eastern Ontario, the Algonquin people and their settler neighbours have spent the past year fighting to stop uranium development on unceded First Nations land. As part of that struggle, I spent this morning on the side of the road 200 metres south of the gate to the old minesite north of Sharbot Lake where a mining exploration company is preparing to drill. Barred by a corporate-ordered injunction from going any closer, we had to watch the trucks entering the gate, listen to the noise of heavy machinery doing who knows what inside, and wonder how much destruction has already happened. The Shabot Obaadjiwan and Ardoch First Nations are in emergency mode, pushing as hard as they can for our pro-mining governments to step in and stop this outrage before it is too late. Those governments allowed the uranium exploration in the first place, then responded to the months of nonviolent protest and calls for negotiation by ordering the camp dismantled and punishing the Algonquin leadership with harsh restrictions and sentences of fines and imprisonment. On Parliament Hill, politicians are mouthing words of apology, but out here among the hills and lakes of Algonquin territory they are still practising the same racist domination mentality that created the residential schools they claim to deplore. If our governments really are "sorry" for the horrors of yesterday, they need to show true respect today. That means stopping uranium exploration in Algonquin territory now. Helen Forsey, 10) ARTICLE: AECL SET TO SOAR: CARR The Pembroke Daily Observer BY Stephen
Uhler
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1066520&auth= 11) DONNA DILLMAN'S RESPONSE TO: AECL SET TO SOAR RE: AECL Set to Soar: Carr Why is it that the nuclear industry propaganda continues to state that nuclear power is a 'clean and safe power source' when it is so obviously untrue? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that when you look at the entire uranium cycle (without which there would be no nuclear power) it is anything but. What is clean and safe about miles of radioactive tailings dumped in ponds, then rising 30 to 40 feet above ground (picture the dead river system around Elliot Lake); accidents and leaks, big and small (think Chernobyl & Three Mile Island, but there have been others) and lack of fuel rod storage solutions. Our children and grandchildren will not thank us for being so easily deceived. The other side of the story was addressed during a recent Citizens' Inquiry into the Impacts of the Uranium Cycle in eastern Ontario. While the report is still being written, the submissions received can be viewed at, www.uraniumcitizensinquiry.com Alternatives and solutions to the energy crisis exist and are being proven in jurisdictions around the world. Donna Dillman ------ NDP MP TAKES STRONG STAND AGAINST UNETHICAL WEAPONS June 12, 2008 BC Southern Interior MP tabled a motion on abolishing depleted uranium arms OTTAWA - NDP MP Alex Atamanenko (BC Southern Interior) - tabled a motion (M-509) on Wednesday calling on the government to take a leading role in helping to abolish the use of depleted uranium (DU) in armaments and munitions. The motion also calls for the government to cease the deployment of our military and civilian personnel in regions where these weapons have been or will be used. "The Canadian government must take strong and decisive action to help rid the world of this environmental and toxic health hazard. Long lasting and often deadly effects on soldiers and innocent civilians alike have been well documented," said Atamanenko. "Our military does not use depleted uranium weapons and we should not be deploying our soldiers to fight with armies who do." Atamanenko's motion comes on the heels of a far-reaching resolution that was passed on May 22, 2008, by the European Parliament towards an EU and NATO-wide moratorium and global ban. Atamanenko says depleted uranium weapons, much like cluster bombs and landmines, have an indiscriminate effect on civilian populations long after they are used in combat. He suggests this runs counter to the basic rules and principles that are already enshrined in international, humanitarian and environmental laws. Currently there are 18 countries that use depleted uranium weapons in their arsenals. Under international law they are considered weapons of mass destruction. Statutes and regulations under the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) prohibit the use of Canadian uranium in DU weapons. "It is unacceptable that we would contravene our own laws and agreements by failing to ensure that our uranium is only used for peaceful purposes. I'm deeply concerned about the dangers of depleted uranium, and I strongly support my colleague, Alex Atamanenko's motion," added NDP Defence Critic, Dawn Black (Burnaby New Westminster) For more information: Office of
Alex Atamanenko, MP |