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OTTAWA -All the players have placed their cards on the table. Now, the future of SRB Technologies (SRBT) in Pembroke is in the hands of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
Thursday was the second of two public hearings into SRBT’s request for a licence to permit the company to resume tritium processing at its Boundary Road plant in Pembroke.
In April, CNSC staff recommended to the commission that SRBT be granted an operating licence for a period of two years. Staff stated SRBT was qualified to carry out the activities authorized by the proposed licence and would make adequate provision for the health and safety of people, the environment, and national security.
Thursday, commission staff suggested additional conditions to the proposed licence, including a financial guarantee for decommissioning of the plant, however it still stands by its recommendation to grant SRBT a two-year operating licence.
SRBT was forced to cut two-thirds of its regular labour force, from 40 to 15, after the commission turned down SRBT’s application for an operating licence renewal in January 2007.
The commission had a number of concerns at the time, stating the company had not demonstrated adequate provision for the protection of the environment during normal operation. In May 2007, the commission issued an amended licence allowing the company to receive tritium-filled light sources from other facilities that it could sell to its customers.
According to company president Stephane Levesque, this gave the company enough cash flow to make the changes requested by the commission. Once it was ready, SRBT requested a licence amendment to allow it to resume tritium processing.
“By our work and submissions for hearing day one and hearing day two, we believe we have demonstrated we are qualified and committed to making adequate provision to protect the environment, making adequate provision for the health and safety of persons, meeting our financial obligations for the payment of cost recovery fees, funding of the balance of the financial guarantee, informing the community and making our best efforts to address its concerns,” Mr. Levesque said Thursday.
He also explained the company’s future is uncertain should it not be allowed to resume tritium processing.
Documentation from SRB’s oral presentation stated, “The processing of tritium is key to our ability to continue to provide local employment, to make further improvements to our operation, to continue to monitor the environment and groundwater conditions, and to support the ongoing provision of decommissioning funds.”
This week commission staff added several updates to its original recommendation in support of SRBT.
They stated SRBT’s safety programs are acceptable and agreed with new funding schedules for the decommissioning financial guarantee and cost recovery arrears owed to the CNSC.
In March 2006, SRBT created a decommissioning fund. Last October, the commission accepted the financial guarantee by SRBT for ‘safe state of closure’ for $79,368.10.
Mr. Levesque said the company has no intention to close and is continuing to pay into an account, accessible by the CNSC should the need arise for decommissioning of the plant.
SRBT has proposed a payment schedule until April 2014 for this fund. For payment of cost-recovery fees to the CNSC, the proposed payment schedule runs until Sept. 2013.
While staff is recommending these proposed schedules, Ole Hendrickson, of the Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County, feels it was inappropriate for staff to advocate on behalf of the company.
When SRBT received its current licence one stipulation was that the remaining financial guarantee, estimated at roughly $500,000, be in place by May 31 of this year.
Mr. Hendrickson pointed out this places SRBT in contravention of its current licence.
“I would urge you to require the cost-recovery fees and decommissioning costs up front,” he said.
Mr. Hendrickson then took on the commission, alleging that cost-recovery fees paid by licencees to the commission were a conflict of interest.
Commission president and CEO Michael Binder responded by assuring people the CNSC does not profit from cost-recovery fees.
The fees are deposited in the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund. The CNSC cannot spend the money.
At the hearing, following opening statements from both Mr. Levesque and commission staff, the CNSC heard from members of the general public who had been given prior approval to speak.
During their allotted 10 minutes, a number of speakers said they felt there should be a comprehensive human-health study on the effect of tritium conducted in Pembroke.
Their position is that a health study be completed prior to licencing.
Kelly O’Grady, representing The First Six Years organization, said staff comments that eating produce grown near SRBT was safe were “irresponsible” because human health studies have not been done.
Public health concerns were raised a number of times during the afternoon.
At one point, Mr. Binder asked commission staff to explain the discrepancies in what is considered a safe dose limit and safe drinking water limit for tritium in countries around the world.
Patsy Thompson, CNSC director general of environmental and radiation protection and assessment, said Canada uses valid scientific information to determine its safe dose limits.
As a result of earlier SRBT hearings, the commission had staff initiate research studies on tritium releases in Canada, study and evaluate best practices of tritium processing facilities throughout the world.
The intention is to enhance the information used in the regulatory oversight of tritium processing and tritium releases in Canada.
The study does include looking at health effects and drinking water guidelines.
Ms. Thompson said, even though staff is currently taking another look at tritium, she doesn’t feel the current risks in Canada are underestimated.
In his statement, Pembroke resident Wesley Stuber said he thought it was unhealthy that he and his wife used to eat produce from their garden located next to SRBT. He said the produce has tested positive for tritium.
In an effort to make the measurements of radioactivity understandable for the public, the commission president asked staff members if they would eat produce from Mr. Stuber’s garden.
Steve Mihok, environmental risk assessment specialist, responded “yes.”
Another concern raised by Ms. O’Grady was her belief SRBT is discharging tritium-contaminated groundwater, pumped from its sample wells, into Pembroke’s municipal sanitary system for disposal.
Ann Erdmann, CNSC project officer, said she has not directly witnessed a purging of a sampling well, adding SRBT provides records of what is disposed to the sewer.
“It has always been well below the number (allowed) on their licence,” she said.
The commission will also consider a number of written submissions before it renders its decision on SRBT’s licence.
A total of 38 written and oral presentations were presented to the commission with a slight majority, including comments from the city of Pembroke, and MP Cheryl Gallant, being in favour of granting the licence.
A decision is expected within the next six weeks.
SRBT has been operating in Pembroke since 1990. It manufactures glow-in-the-dark signs and other illuminated products using the radioactive substance tritium.
Article ID# 1073863