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Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout, 412-1 Nicholas Street, Ottawa,
Ontario, K1N 7B7

CNP ACTION ALERT

WEAPONS PLUTONIUM TO FUEL CANDUs?

NO THANKS!



April 15, 1997


Dear friends,

We are facing an issue of unprecedented urgency and we need your
help.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Ontario Hydro have put
forward a plan to import 100 tonnes of weapons plutonium from the
United States and Russia over the next 25 years. This weapons
plutonium will be in the form of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel bundles
(a mixture of plutonium oxide and uranium oxide) to be used in
Ontario CANDU reactors. Without any public consultation or
parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Jean Chretien has declared
that Canada supports the plan in principle. Permission has
already been granted to import 600 grams of plutonium from
nuclear weapons stockpiles for the purposes of a "test burn" in a
nuclear reactor located at Chalk River, Ontario.

The test burn at Chalk River is scheduled to take place this
spring and the Atomic Energy Control Board has decided that an
environmental assessment is unnecessary. However, the Minister of
Natural Resources has stated "the project  would have to undergo
an assessment and licensing approvals by the relevant federal and
provincial safety, health, and environment regulatory
authorities." According to  Minister McLellan, the approval
processes would include full public review of the proposal.

There is widespread opposition to the use of weapons plutonium
fuel. Throughout 1996, a number of Canadian public-interest
groups, including Energy Probe, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear
Responsibility, Nuclear Awareness Project, Concerned Citizens of
Manitoba, Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and  Sierra Club
of Canada, wrote to members of the federal cabinet to express
their concerns about plutonium fuel imports. At the international
level, 171 environmental, peace and medical organizations issued a
statement on January 14, 1997 condemning the U.S. decision to
allow the use of plutonium fuel in commercial nuclear reactors.

The Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout is opposed to the importation
and use of plutonium fuel for a number of reasons.

This initiative will not turn "swords into ploughshares".
Instead, it will help launch a deadly global plutonium economy.
While using weapons plutonium in reactors consumes a portion of
that plutonium, new plutonium will be produced as waste.
Plutonium production worldwide is increasing and Canada is not
opposing it. This plan could mark the start of a "plutonium
economy". This would mean an ongoing supply of plutonium derived
from civilian and military sources will find its way into
countries around the world. Moreover, the importation of
plutonium fuel would add to Canada's nuclear waste problems.

The plutonium fuel initiative only serves to prop up Canada's
declining nuclear industry and its unsustainable means of
generating electrical power. Nuclear reactors around the world,
including CANDU reactors in Canada, are being shut down long
before their predicted lifespan. Under the plutonium fuel import
plan, Canada would be committed to running specific reactors for
decades into the future, even if they need expensive repairs or
cheaper and safer energy alternatives are available. Canada would
be committed to supporting the nuclear industry for another
quarter of a century.

The transportation of plutonium fuel in Canada poses a serious
potential health and safety risk. If even a small amount of
plutonium were to be dispersed into the environment there could
be disastrous consequences. International Physicians for the
Prevention of Nuclear War, a Nobel-prize-winning organization,
has estimated that 27 micrograms of insoluble plutonium-239 in
the lungs would be sufficient to cause cancer in an adult human
being. (Plutonium:  Deadly Gold of the Nuclear Age, International
Physicians Press, 1992, p. 148). At that rate, the 600 grams of
plutonium (equivalent to 600 million micrograms) for the proposed
Chalk River test burn is theoretically enough to kill about 3/4 of
the population in Canada.

The security measures necessary to safeguard the importation of
plutonium would affect the civil liberties of Canadians. Because
the proposed plan necessitates shipping nuclear weapons-usable
plutonium over enormous distances, it might well increase the
likelihood that such material could fall into the hands of
terrorists. The US National Academy of Sciences has stated that
shipments of plutonium fuel will require security measures
equivalent to those needed for transport of nuclear weapons. The
Harvard Law School and the United Kingdom Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution have stated that the security measures
and civil liberties implications of using plutonium as an article
of commerce are a serious concern.

The federal government's support for the plutonium fuel
initiative is not based on any open democratic process. Please
contact your elected federal representatives and tell them that
the plutonium fuel test-burn and subsequent import plans should
not go forward.

We are enclosing a letter you can send to your MP and a sign-on
letter which if returned to CNP will be forwarded to the Prime
Minister and the Ministers of Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs,
and Environment. Please copy and distribute these letters to your
friends and colleagues. We suggest you also write to your
provincial Premier.

Please send us  copies of your letters to the Prime Minister,
Members of Parliament and other politicians so  we can keep a
record of public opposition. We want to know about your efforts
to stop the import of weapons plutonium fuel. Thank you.

Sincerely,





Kristen Ostling
Coordinator


Write to your MP and the Prime Minister postage-free:

House of Commons
Ottawa Ontario
K1A 0A6
You can fax the Prime Minister at  613-941-6900 or telephone:
613-992-4211

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---------------------------
Two sample letters follow:

Please complete and return to CNP by April 23, 1997 (by fax:
613-241-2292, by mail: 412-1 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, Ontario,
K1N 7B7). We will forward your letters to Parliament Hill.
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---------------

April 1997

The Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Natural Resources
The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade
The Honourable Sergio Marchi, Minister of Environment
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister Chretien and Ministers McLellan, Axworthy and
Marchi:

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Ontario Hydro have put
forward a plan to import 100 tonnes of weapons plutonium from the
United States and Russia over the next 25 years. This weapons
plutonium will be in the form of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel bundles
(a mixture of plutonium oxide and uranium oxide) to be used in
Ontario CANDU reactors. Without any public consultation or
parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Jean Chretien has declared
that Canada supports the plan in principle. Permission has
already been granted to import 600 grams of plutonium from
nuclear weapons stockpiles for the purposes of a "test burn" in a
nuclear reactor located at Chalk River, Ontario.

The plutonium fuel test burn and subsequent import plans should
not go forward for the following reasons:

This initiative will not turn "swords into ploughshares".
Instead, it will help launch a deadly global plutonium economy by
increasing the accessibility and potential for proliferation of
this nuclear explosive.

The plutonium fuel initiative only serves to prop up Canada's
declining nuclear industry and its unsustainable means of
generating electrical power. Under the plutonium fuel import plan
Canada would be committed to running specific reactors for decades
into the future, even if they need expensive repairs or cheaper
and safer energy alternatives are available.

The transportation of plutonium fuel in Canada poses a serious
potential health and safety risk. If even a small amount of
plutonium was dispersed into the environment there could be
catastrophic consequences.

The security measures necessary to safeguard the importation of
plutonium would affect the civil liberties of Canadians.
Shipments of plutonium fuel will require security measures
equivalent to those needed for the transport of nuclear weapons.

I urge you to reverse your decision allowing the import of
mixed-oxide plutonium fuel.


Sincerely,

Signature:

Name:

Address:

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Please add your MP's name to this letter and send it postage-free
to the House of Commons by April 23, 1997.
Please forward a copy of your letter to CNP, 412-1 Nicholas
Street,Ottawa, K1N 7B7.
...............................................................


April 1997


House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Ontario Hydro have put
forward a plan to import 100 tonnes of weapons plutonium from the
United States and Russia over the next 25 years. This weapons
plutonium will be in the form of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel bundles
(a mixture of plutonium oxide and uranium oxide) to be used in
Ontario CANDU reactors. Without any public consultation or
parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Jean Chretien has declared
that Canada supports the plan in principle. Permission has
already been granted to import 600 grams of plutonium from
nuclear weapons stockpiles for the purposes of a "test burn" in a
nuclear reactor located at Chalk River, Ontario.

The plutonium fuel test burn and subsequent import plans should
not go forward for the following reasons:

This initiative will not turn "swords into ploughshares".
Instead, it will help launch a deadly global plutonium economy by
increasing the accessibility and potential for proliferation of
this nuclear explosive.

The plutonium fuel initiative only serves to prop up Canada's
declining nuclear industry and its unsustainable means of
generating electrical power. Under the plutonium fuel import plan
Canada would be committed to running specific reactors for decades
into the future, even if they need expensive repairs or cheaper
and safer energy alternatives are available.

The transportation of plutonium fuel in Canada poses a serious
potential health and safety risk. If even a small amount of
plutonium was dispersed into the environment there could be
catastrophic consequences.

The security measures necessary to safeguard the importation of
plutonium would affect the civil liberties of Canadians.
Shipments of plutonium fuel will require security measures
equivalent to those needed for the transport of nuclear weapons.

I request that you urge the government to reverse its decision
allowing the import of mixed-oxide plutonium fuel.


Sincerely,

Signature:

Name:

Address: