How many ‘Deloros’ are there in Ontario?
Nuclear Awareness Project, a citizens environment group, is pleased to see action being taken by the Environmental Bureau of Investigation and Sierra Legal Defence Fund against the provincial government for alleged violations of the Environmental Protection Act. Although the Deloro industrial site is a known hotspot, the province has failed to clean up the site despite taking responsibility for the property almost two decades ago.
Some of the wastes at the Deloro site originated from processing of radioactive materials from the uranium refinery in Port Hope, Ontario, which was owned by Eldorado Nuclear (a federal crown corporation which was privatized and is now owned by Cameco). The Deloro facility also handled
cobalt contaminated with radioisotopes as an ‘agent of the federal government’. Nuclear Awareness Project believes that the Federal government has some responsibility for the clean-up and should contribute funds.
Nuclear Awareness Project spokesperson Irene Kock stated:
“The Atomic Energy Control Board should have ordered the contaminated lands fenced off from public access and remediated years ago. When citizens groups have to undertake private prosecutions over radiation pollution it demonstrates just how toothless the nuclear regulator is.”
“The province of Ontario owes everyone an explanation — why isn’t the government prepared to obey the law and protect citizens from harm?”
“How many other radiation-contaminated properties are out there, falling through the cracks because the regulator and the governments won’t act?”
“The federal government’s failure at Deloro parallels its lack of progress in cleaning up the Port Hope area radioactive wastes.”
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For more information, contact:
Irene Kock Nuclear Awareness Project P.O. Box 104, Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada L9P 1M6 Tel/Fax 905-852-0571
Environmental Bureau of Investigation 