Bruce steam generator shipment on hold

Tuesday, 29 March 2011 Bruce Power has announced that it is delaying the shipment of 16 steam generators from Canada to Sweden for recycling to allow time for further discussion with First Nations, Métis and other interested parties. The steam generators, removed as part of a major refurbishment of the four Bruce A Candu units, are classed as low-level radioactive waste. Swedish company Studsvik has the technology to recycle about 90% of the metal in the massive components, returning the remaining radioactive waste to Canada, and Bruce Power has chosen this option rather than placing the whole components into long-term storage. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) earlier this year granted a licence for the transatlantic shipment to take place, but according to Bruce Power president and CEO Duncan Hawthorne there remains a level of concern among some groups that the company wants to address before proceeding. "The important thing is we do this right, not that we do it quickly", he said. The company says it will not set a date for the shipment until it has taken the necessary time to meet with First Nations and Métis groups to answer their questions about the project. The CNSC licence is valid until 3 February 2012.