Issue 1 • Volume 1 Thursday, November 3, 2016

Ontario Nuclear Report

Boilermakers union workers on the job

Provincial benefits of nuclear energy add up

Nuclear power and climate change 52 4

This special report produced byPepperMedia.ca

lated pollution, including GHG emissions, is well reflected in Ontario’s decision to extend the lives of several of its hardest-working nuclear power plants, including the Pickering and Darlington facilities.

Located just east of Toronto, Pickering Nu-clear Generating Station is one of the world’s largest nuclear generating facilities and is home to six operating reactors. Pickering has a total output of 3,100 megawatts (MW), which provides 14 per cent of Ontario’s electricity demand (enough to serve a city of one and a half million people).

In a move that signalled Ontario’s commit-ment to sustainable, affordable energy, earlier this year the province approved Ontario Pow-er Generation’s proposal to pursue continued operation of the Pickering station beyond 2020 up to 2024. This decision means that Ontario avoids 8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions seeping into the atmosphere. But the Pickering plant is not just having a positive effect on the environment, it is also having massive economic impacts including consumer electricity savings up to $600-mil-

lion and the protection of some 4,500 jobs across the Durham region.

MID-LIFE REFURBISHMENT In planning since 2010, the mid-life refurbish-ment of OPG’s Candu reactors at the Darling-ton Nuclear Generating Station got underway on October 14 when the first nuclear unit at the station was temporarily taken offline. A complex and highly technical undertaking that will span several years, Darlington’s refur-bishment aims to maximize the facility’s life-span through a process of rigorous inspection, replacement and updates to key components. When the project is completed, Darlington will play an integral role in ensuring that elec-tricity generation across Ontario remains safe and clean for another 25 to 30 years.

Long recognized among the world’s best-performing nuclear plants, Darlington

was as a natural and strong candidate for refurbishment. Known for its powerful, reliable and predictable operation, Darlington has one of the best safety records of any nuclear facility operating in the world today.

ENVIRONMENTAL NECESSITY, ECONOMIC GAINThe refurbishment of the Darlington units will take 10 years and secure 3,500 megawatts of affordable, emissions-free power. Further, the facility’s continued operation to 2055 will add $90-billion to Ontario’s GDP and add an average of 14,200 jobs annually, including over 2,600 onsite jobs.

“Refurbishment at Darlington will ensure that emissions-free nuclear continues to be Ontario’s single largest source of power,” said Glenn Thibeault, Ontario Minister of Energy, in a recent statement. “Refurbishment will continue to boost economic activity across Ontario, create jobs and secure a clean supply of reliable electricity for the future.”

While Canada’s commitment to nuclear energy is well reflected in the upgrades now underway at Ontario’s Pickering and Darling-ton facilities, nuclear energy advocates see an even brighter future.

In June, the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) applauded a joint announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto for including nuclear energy in their pledge to have 50 per cent of the continent’s electricity produced by clean sources by 2025.

“Nuclear energy is a low-carbon solution to combat climate change,” said CNA President and CEO Dr. John Barrett in a press release.

Acknowledging that all low-carbon tech-nologies will be needed to achieve the COP21 Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting average global temperatures to a 1.5° C rise, Barrett added, “Canada’s nuclear industry is ready to assist in achieving this important commitment. Renewable energy sources will contribute to these goals as well, when they are fully integrated into the baseload clean electricity generation and high reliability that nuclear energy provides today.” n

The relationship between rising energy consumption demands and environmental concerns has long been a conflicted one. Yet, encouraging signs are emerging

as progressive-minded nations worldwide, including Canada, increasingly emphasize investments in clean energy production, including renewables and nuclear.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Outlook 2016 report, by 2040 total global consumption of marketed energy is expected to rise 48 per cent from 2012 levels.

In Canada, Ontario is the nation’s unde-niable nuclear champion. Of Canada’s 19 commercial nuclear reactors, all but one is in Ontario. Touted as clean, reliable and afford-able, nuclear power delivers approximately 59 per cent of Ontario’s daily electricity needs.

A LEADING ROLECanada’s progressive aim to meet the nation’s rising energy needs while reducing energy-re-

DARLINGTON. BRUCE. PICKERING.

Clean energy upgrade

They are among the province’s cleanest and hardest working energy producers.

But after a long and productive shift, Ontario’s nuclear energy facilities

are finally getting the attention needed to extend their service for generations.

A SPONSORED FEATURE BY PEPPER MEDIA

$4-billionavoidance of

energy imports

4-year Pickering extension has positive impact for Ontarians Darlington and Bruce Power refurbishments

$600-millionreduction of system costs

30 yearsof greenhouse gas free,

reliable power

JOBSfor thousands of skilled workers

$1.2-billionadditional revenue

for Ontario

The refurbishment of the Darlington nuclear generating station is underway. Already rated one of the world’s best nuclear stations, the refurbishment will ensure another 30 years of safe, reliable energy that’s over 99 per cent free of smog and greenhouse gas emissions. PHOTO COURTESY DARLINGTON NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION

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2 Thursday, November 3, 2016 Ontario Nuclear Report

ENVIRONMENT

A SPONSORED FEATURE BY PEPPER MEDIA

Nuclear power and the fight against climate change

The nuclear connection to combating the Zika virus

Nuclear energy

has a key role

to play in our

future generation because,

unlike some other low-

carbon technologies, it

provides the constant

and predictable supply of

electricity we rely on.”

Dr Jonathan Cobb, Senior Communication Manager at the World Nuclear Association

Think of Zika

transmission

as a triangle.

People, virus and the

mosquito. By removing one

of the three, you can stop

the transmission.”

Jeremie Gilles, head of the mosquito group with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

“

“Canadian Nuclear Association

implement energy policies are often much longer that the time between elections,” Dr. Cobb says.

This cynical political approach to energy policies is not what our environments and economies need. The reality is that nuclear power plants create clean energy for de-cades: a nuclear plant starting construction today would most likely be generating elec-tricity for 60 to 80 years, during which period it would provide thousands of well-paying jobs and attract significant investment. “Governments need to show their com-mitment to supporting current and future nuclear generation, ensuring it can compete in a fair electricity market,” Dr. Cobb says. “In a global industry, we also need harmonized processes for more effective and efficient regulation. We also need an effective safety paradigm where we increase genuine public well-being by reducing emissions from all polluting sources and ensure high safety standards are met.”

ENDING THE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE In order to seriously mitigate the devastating consequences of climate change, embracing nuclear energy as the number one alterna-

technique for over 50 years to help suppress or eradicate pests all together. This safe and environmentally friendly procedure involves using radiation to make male insects infertile. This is the first time that the SIT technique has been applied to fight human disease.

“Think of it as a method of birth control. We produce sterile male mosquitos using radiation that sterilizes the sperm in the male mosquito,” says Rosemary Lees, a medical en-tomologist with the IAEA. “When we release a large number of these males, we flood a region with sterile males so that the wild females are more likely to mate with them.”

Since female mosquitos usually only mate once, mating with infertile males would stop the further reproduction of Aedes mosquitos.

The SIT technique relies on something

tive to fossil fuels needs to happen now – not in 15 or 20 years. Too much damage has already been done, and now is the time to put a stop to it. At the COP 21 climate change meeting in Paris last year, world leaders came together to discuss climate change, and each attendee made a commitment to cut their carbon emissions. Unsurprisingly, nuclear energy is expected to play a vital role in enabling those nations to meet their new, long-term targets.

“More immediately, nuclear energy can help reduce the air pollution caused by burn-ing fossil fuels and biomass that is responsi-ble for the deaths of 6.5 million people each year,” says Dr. Cobb. “Using nuclear energy means that, at the same time we achieve these environmental goals, we will be able to meet the needs of those of us lucky enough to be able to take electricity for granted and improve the lives of the billions of people on this planet who do not yet have access to reliable supplies.”

Simply put, winning the battle against climate change will mean making major re-ductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In nu-clear energy, we have the practical, low-cost, low-carbon option with the proven capability to end our dependence on fossil fuels. n

known as Cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope that is currently used to sterilize 40 per cent of the world’s medical devices. In Canada, Cobalt-60 is harvested from Bruce Power and processed by Nordion.

“Cobalt-60 from our reactors already plays a major role in keeping single-use medical equipment safely sterilized, and with it now helping to stop the spread of diseases like Zika virus, the world’s population continues to benefit from it,” said James Scongack, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Bruce Power. “We look forward to working with Nordion to continue safely harvesting Cobalt-60 during our planned maintenance outages so it can help prevent disease across the world.”

The second half of the program involves understanding the wild mosquito environ-ment through trapping mosquitos. The idea is that if researchers know how many wild mosquitoes there are, they will know how many to release. The hope is that if enough wild mosquitos are trapped and sterile ones breed, the spread of the virus will cease.

“We are trying to remove the vector. Think of Zika transmission as a triangle. People, virus and the mosquito. By removing one of the three you can stop the transmission,” according to Jeremie Gilles, head of the mos-quito group with the IAEA.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus a public health emergency. This is only the fourth time in history that this has happened since Inter-national Heath Regulations (IHR) came into place in 2007.

The IAEA in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has commit-ted over 2 million Euros to help fight Zika in Latin America and the Caribbean where close to 4 million people could be infected this year. Thanks to the use of nuclear technolo-gy, science may be able to stop the spread of what could soon be a global disease epidemic. n

Utilizing nuclear energy is crucial to cutting the greenhouse gas emissions that are eroding our planet. For both economic and environmental reasons, the

world desperately needs an alternative to fossil fuels, and nuclear power is the obvious and sensible answer.

Tackling climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most important undertakings for this generation of the human species. When future gener-ations look back at the societies of the late 20th and 21st centuries, they will assess us based on how we addressed this fundamen-tal issue; how we responded when action was needed most. The most frustrating issue in the climate change debate is that we do have a strong, sustainable option available to us. Nuclear energy provides clean, affordable energy on-demand and, despite some of the common misconceptions that still exist, nuclear power has an excellent safety record, especially here in Canada.

CONSTANT AND PREDICTABLE SUPPLY “Countries such as France, Sweden, Switzer-land and Brazil – and regions such as Ontario – have succeeded in decarbonizing their electricity generation with a combination of nuclear energy and renewables working in harmony together,” explains Dr Jonathan Cobb, Senior Communication Manager at the World Nuclear Association. “Nuclear energy has a key role to play in our future genera-tion because, unlike some other low-carbon technologies, it provides the constant and predictable supply of electricity we rely on.”

Utilized in more than 30 countries across the world – with a combined population of more than four and a half billion people – nu-clear power has been embraced by most for-ward-thinking world leaders. But why, when the evidence is so substantial and readily available to all parties, do some countries reject nuclear as an alternative to fossil fuels? “One political issue is that the timescales to

Ateam of experts at the Interna-tional Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is launching a new fight against the Zika virus, and it’s totally nuclear.

Over one million people have already been affected by the Zika virus, and an estimated 2.2 billion live in at risk areas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is-sued a global emergency on the virus earlier this year as it continues to spread through North America. Reports of over 6,000 cases have already surfaced in the United States, with over 15 cases reported so far in the Mi-ami area, and that number is expected to rise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention (CDC) in the United States issued a historic travel warning to pregnant women to stay away from a neighbourhood north of downtown Miami where the virus is spread-ing. This marks the first time in 70 years that the U.S. government has issued such a warning. The virus has been linked to brain damage in babies and, according to French researchers, can also lead to brain infections in adults

The Zika virus is not new. It was first discovered in Uganda back in the 1940s and is named after the forest in which it was found. According to the CDC, “Zika can be transmitted through mosquito bites, from a pregnant woman to her fetus, sex and blood transfusions (very likely but not confirmed).” The most common symptoms of infection include fevers, rashes, joint and muscle pain, headaches and red eyes.

While there is no known vaccine or med-icine for Zika, scientists with the IAEA are hoping to fight the disease thanks to nuclear technology.

The procedure is called the sterile insect technique (SIT). Scientists have used this

Experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency are testing an environmentally-friend-ly procedure to render Zika-virus-carrying male insects infertile. This is the first time the technique has been used to fight human disease. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Left: Environmental stewardship supported by world-class science; Right: Developing safe nuclear fuels for the future: testing underway in the development of prototype research reactor fuels. CANADIAN NUCLEAR LABORATORIES

HEALTH CARE

Canada is among the world’s top producers of nuclear energy, a form that was responsible for 10.0% of global energy production in 2012.

World electricty production 2012Source: IEA Electricity Information 2014

Nuclear generation (TWh) by country 2014Source: IAEA PRIS Database

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Media: Toronto Star Supplement: “Investing in Ontario — Energy + Infrastructure”Date: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6Size: Half-page CMYK (10.5″ x 10.3125″)Client: IBB(Boilermakers)Information: Jim Anderson, 416 593 6030

101 Spadina Ave., Suite 204A, Toronto ON M5V 2K2T:4165936030•F:4164633322 mail@unioncommunications.ca

4 Thursday, November 3, 2016 Ontario Nuclear Report

TRADE

A SPONSORED FEATURE BY PEPPER MEDIA

Boilermakers union a key part of refurbishing Ontario nuclear plants

We take pride

in our work.

Our aim in

every project is to build it

safely and built it well. We

believe we’re working not

only for ourselves and our

employers, but for everyone

in Ontario. That’s why we

have to – and we will – get

it done right.”

John Petronski, Business Manager of Boilermakers Local 128

“ditions in the field as much as possible, with training in the use of a breathing apparatus and protective clothing, as well as working in areas where radiation is a concern. Similar mockups have been built for other areas of the facilities.

It’s not enough that Boilermakers take the training course. They must also pass a series of tests five times before they can work on the reactor chambers and other critical components.

Safety is the number one core value for the Boilermakers, the contractors who employ them and the OPG. As the project proceeds, it’s a principle that demands absolute adherence and respect. Many things can affect safety, like changes in scheduling and people. Safety can get eroded if everyone is not conscious of it.

“We don’t have a choice: we have to get this right,” OPG Project Director Ken Hobbs told a recent industry conference. “We need to have all our project partners involved in this, committed to the same values we have. Any break in the chain will have a negative impact.”

THOUSANDS OF JOBSHow important is this work to the Ontario economy? The Darlington refurbishment alone will employ at least a thousand skilled tradespeople every day for the next 10 years.

At times, the workforce will double to 2,000. That adds up to more than a billion dollars in wages that will reinforce local economies throughout Ontario.

Once the Darlington project is finished in 2020, it will be the turn of Bruce Nuclear. In all, the projects will mean thousands of skilled jobs over the next 15 to 20 years.

For the Boilermakers union, it means work-ing in partnership with OPG, Bruce Power, their contractors and other unions.

“It’s all about teamwork,” says John Petron-ski, Business Manager of Boilermakers Local 128, which represents key people working on the refurbishment. “Nobody can do this alone.”

The union has a tradition of teamwork that it brings to the table in this round of refurbishment.

CREATIVE“The union has gone forward with some unique and creative ways to align with the other trades,” says Hobbs. “The Boilermakers are in the forefront of other initiatives too. That reassures the OPG.”

“We take pride in our work,” says Petronski. “Our aim in every project is to build it safely and built it well. We believe we’re working not only for ourselves and our employers, but for everyone in Ontario. That’s why we have to – and we will – get it done right.” n

Ontario’s Boilermakers are taking a leading role in some of the toughest jobs in building the infrastructure of tomorrow in our province. Nowhere is that

more evident than in the nuclear industry, where members of the Boilermakers union are key in refurbishing and building the facilities at Bruce Power near Port Elgin and the Darlington generating station east of Toronto.

To give an idea of the scale of these proj-ects, the Bruce Nuclear plant is the largest nuclear facility in the world on one footprint. The refurbishment of the Darlington facility is a $10-billion project that will take place over the next 10 years.

Boilermakers play a huge role in projects like these. They rebuild the reactor chambers and are responsible for the huge ancillary installations like storage vessels, cooling systems and the various conduits for carrying water to cool the reactors and steam to pow-er the electric turbines.

This can mean jobs like positioning giant storage tanks to tolerances of thousandths of an inch, or using special techniques to weld parts for systems that deliver super-hot steam, in all kinds of weather and working conditions.

Boilermakers are trained for this work in a four-year apprenticeship program that is the most stringent and comprehensive in the world. And their learning doesn’t stop when they graduate as journeypersons. The union’s state-of-the-art training centre in Burlington, supplemented by facilities in Sarnia, Sudbury and Thunder Bay, provides specialized training in subjects such rigging and hoisting huge components like storage tanks, working at heights, in confined spaces and with respirator equipment, operating high-capacity cranes, working with flamma-ble liquids and others.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING The Boilermakers who work on our nuclear facilities need every bit of their knowledge, training and years of experience. But before they work on a nuclear plant, they take even more specialized training.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has built a $30-million mockup of a reactor vault, on which every person working on the reactor must be trained. The mockup recreates con-

At Ontario nuclear facilities boilermakers rebuild reactor chambers and are responsible for ancillary installations including storage vessels, cooling systems and various conduits that carry water to cool reactors and funnel steam to drive electric turbines. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Thursday, November 3, 2016 5Ontario Nuclear Report A SPONSORED FEATURE BY PEPPER MEDIA

Beyond providing 30 per cent of Ontario’s electricity, Bruce Power supports over 4,000 full-time, direct jobs for skilled employees, as well as thousands more jobs indirectly. PHOTO FROM CNS NUCLEAR CANADA YEARBOOK 2016, COURTESY BRUCE POWER

OUTLOOK

Nuclear power to continue delivering positive results

Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has six operating reactors that combined support 14 per cent of Ontario’s electricity demand. The facility’s life is being extended to 2020 and beyond. PHOTO COURTESY PICKERING GENERATING STATION

FACTS AND STATS

ment saying his group was “shocked and extremely disappointed.” He said the shift in government policy would “negatively impact Ontario’s ability to meet its climate goals.”

But a study by Intrinsik Corp. commis-sioned by Ontario Power Generation showed that, in fact, refurbishing the Darlington nuclear plant would prevent more than 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere when compared to emissions associated with the alternatives.

The problem is not emissions from wind, solar or hydro power; it’s that most of the power from Pickering and Darlington would be replaced by electricity generated by natu-ral gas if we shut down both facilities.

The Intrinsik study compared three scenar-ios: the current situation; shutdown of both the Pickering and Darlington facilities and replacing them with electricity generated by both natural gas and renewables; and refurbishment of Darlington to extend its life until 2055, with Pickering’s output replaced by power from gas and renewables.

The study found that, overall, refurbishing Darlington would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 9.2 million metric tonnes per year, the equivalent of remov-

ing 2,000,000 cars from Ontario’s roads, as compared to replacing nuclear power with other sources.

SAFETYCanadian nuclear plants emit low levels of radiation through normal operations. But they are typically millions of times less than levels that are observed to affect human health. The actual amount of radiation that the public is exposed to through nuclear plant operations is on the public record. The information can be obtained through the website of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and on the Ontario Power Gen-eration website.Tritium emissions are another concern because nuclear plants also release it from normal operations. Canadian plants release tritium at a rate of less than one per cent of the safe-exposure limits adopted by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

As for Ontario’s reactors themselves, the CANDU design of all three of Ontario’s nucle-ar power facilities boasts a number of built-in safety features, which, the industry says, makes it the world’s safest design.

THE FUTURENuclear power will continue to play an important role in the province’s energy supply for the next 40 years. While replacing nuclear power with renewable sources is a laudable goal, it’s not likely we will be able to achieve it for some time.

The main effort over the next decade or so will be to replace natural gas, which still ac-counts for some 10 per cent of our electricity. Together, wind and solar now account for less than six per cent of our electricity. Ontario’s recently announced agreement with Quebec will also play a part in that strategy.

While the industry has been criticized in the past for cost overruns in building or re-newing nuclear facilities, OPG believes past experience and more careful budgeting will lessen these problems during the Darlington refurbishment.

Nuclear power seems set to remain a ma-jor driver of Ontario’s economic engine and a major part of a strategy to reduce green-house has emissions in our province. n

While nuclear power won’t solve all of the world’s ener-gy problems, the benefits of this energy form are adding up in multiple ways.

ECONOMIC GAINS According to an October 2016 report by the Conference Board of Canada, the economic footprint associated with the continuing operation of the Darlington Nuclear Generat-ing Station is expected to increase Ontario’s nominal gross domestic product by $75-bil-lion between 2017 and 2055.

“The boost to economic activity would have far-reaching and, effectively, permanent stimulative effects on the Ontario economy,” said the Conference Board report.

Among other benefits, the plant’s con-tinuing operation will support an increase of some 14,200 jobs per year over the same time frame, “with five jobs created in the broader Ontario economy for each worker directly employed at Darlington Station.”

As a result, Ontario’s personal income levels are expected to rise an average of $1.6-billion per year to 2055. This enrichment will naturally support more robust consumer spending, which is anticipated to rise by $1.4-billion annually over the same period, as consumers increases purchases of every-thing from housing and food to clothing and vehicles. Residential construction alone is anticipated to rise by $2.2-billion. “Darling-ton’s footprint will increase other non-resi-dential business investment by an additional $3.3-billion as corporate profits are re-in-vested into the Ontario economy,” said the Conference Board.

Governments will also prosper as pro-vincial, federal and municipal government coffers receive a revenue boost of more than $23-billion, the Conference Board study predicts.

ENVIRONMENTALIn late September, the province announced it would halt its procurement program for more than 1,000 megawatts of solar, wind, hydro-electric, bioenergy and energy-from-waste projects.

Robert Hornung, president of the Canadi-an Wind Energy Association, issued a state-

A combination of misinformation and damaging news agendas has created a stigma around nuclear energy that is hard to shift. But, for the well-being of our planet and for the billions of people who require safe, affordable energy, it’s time to eradicate that stigma. And what better way than with some cold hard facts?

CLEAN Fossil fuels release pollutants and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change, but producing electricity in nuclear reactors creates no emissions.

CHEAP Both operation and fuel and costs for nuclear power are extremely low. In fact, it’s cheaper than gas, wind and solar power. Most of the costs associated with nuclear power are derived from the construction of facilities, so therefore pricing is both stable and predictable.

SAFE Canada’s reactors are the most protected infrastructure in the country.

RELIABLE Nuclear power is scientific, which means it’s dependable and predictable. Nuclear power plants are designed to operate continuously, which is ideal for utilities that need a dependable baseload source of electricity all the time.

NUCLEAR POWER REPRESENTS 59 PER CENT OF ONTARIO’S ELECTRICITY GENERATION In 2012, nuclear energy provided approximately 12 per cent of the world’s electrical supply. It is believed that nuclear electrical generation will more than double between 2010 and 2040, at an annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent.

HOW DOES IT WORK?Uranium is mined for use in nuclear reactors. Then, through controlled fission, the uranium fuel creates heat that boils water and creates steam to turn the turbines that generate electricity.

A single uranium fuel pellet the size of a fingertip contains as much energy as 17,000 ft3 (481m3) of natural gas, 1,780 pounds (807kg) of coal or 149 gallons (677l) of oil.

Nuclear’s life-cycle carbon emissions are as low as renewable energy sources. However, unlike wind and solar, nuclear energy can reliably provide around-the-clock power regardless of weather conditions. Unlike gas and oil, a nuclear power plant does not need pipelines or lengthy railway cars to deliver its fuel.

NUCLEAR FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES Nuclear Isotopes (known as radioisotopes) are varying forms of a single chemical element that have the same atomic number (amount of protons), but a different amount of neutrons.

Canada is the world’s biggest producer of radioisotopes and they

have, overtime, been used to aid scientific and technological advances in industrial smoke alarms, oil drilling research, and, most importantly, medical diagnostics and imaging.

Nuclear medicine uses cameras that detect gamma rays, which are emitted from isotopes injected into the body. It’s used to treat tumours, heart problems, Parkinson’s, and other neurological diseases.

WHAT IS URANIUM?Roughly 70 per cent denser than lead and the only naturally occurring fissile element on earth, Uranium is a silvery-white metal that occurs naturally in most rocks. It is as common in the Earth’s crust as tin, tungsten and molybdenum, and about 40 times as common as silver.

URANIUM BREAKTHROUGH Although uranium mining already has minimal environmental impact, a new breakthrough could make it completely renewable. Two American organizations are working on making the removal of uranium from seawater an economic feasibility.

The 4 billion tonnes of uranium currently in seawater would fuel a thousand 1,000-MW nuclear power plants for 100,000 years. Also, uranium extracted from seawater is replenished continuously; so nuclear becomes as endless as solar, hydro and wind.

URANIUM PRODUCTION Canada is a world leader in uranium mining, second only to Kazakhstan.

Darlington’s

footprint will

increase other

non-residential business

investment by an additional

$3.3-billion as corporate

profits are re-invested into

the Ontario economy.”

Conference Board of Canada

“

Everything you Need to Know About Nuclear Technology

Source: World Nuclear Association

The Ontario government’s support for extending the operation of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station by four years to 2025 and the refurbishment of the Darlington and Bruce Nuclear Stations is good news for the province’s environment and economy. These investments are clear evidence of the province’s continuing commitment to achieving: real greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions; securing a long-term, Ontario-based electricity supply; mitigating rising electricity costs; and, supporting and creating jobs.

Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Pickering Station generates 3,100 megawatts of safe, low-cost, low-carbon electricity for Ontario. A recent analysis by Strategic Policy Economics (Strapolec) confirms that each year the station’s output helps avoid millions of tonnes of GHG emissions while annually contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the economies of Durham Region and Ontario. As well, extending the station’s operations by just four years reduces electricity system costs by over $600 million, saves $4 billion from avoided energy imports and provides over $1.2 billion in additional revenues to the provincial government. That’s good news for the environment, Ontario’s economy, consumers and taxpayers.

In fact, over the past seven years, Ontario’s nuclear stations have safely and affordably provided more than half of the province’s electricity. Each year, the province’s three nuclear stations have helped avoid tens of thousands of tonnes of smog producing pollutants and about 60 million tonnes of GHG emissions. That’s equivalent to taking about 12 million vehicles off the road! Moreover, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator indicates that the all–in cost of the electricity produced is less than the average cost of electricity in Ontario today.

OPG’s Darlington Station and Bruce Nuclear Station are among the top performing nuclear facilities in the world. The mid-life refurbishment of the nuclear units at these two facilities secures another 30 years of affordable, reliable, 24/7, GHG emission-free electricity for our homes and businesses. As noted in Ontario’s 2013 Long-Term Energy Plan, these refurbished stations will produce electricity more affordably than

any other new source of generation, including electricity imports from Quebec.

Generating electricity in Ontario keeps economic wealth and jobs here instead of exporting these benefits to other jurisdictions. Nuclear energy is not just Ontario’s electricity workhorse, but also a major contributor to the province’s economy. Ontario is the heart of Canada’s $6 billion plus, 60,000 job nuclear industry. This includes 180 supply chain companies located in communities across the province and support for high-tech innovation-focused R&D at Ontario’s universities and colleges.

Currently, Ontario’s three nuclear stations are among the province’s biggest employers. OPG’s Pickering and Darlington stations are the largest industrial employers in Durham Region and the Bruce Nuclear Station employs more people than GM’s Oshawa Plant. Most importantly, these are high-skilled, well-paying jobs.

Analyses show that extending the operation of the Pickering Station and the mid-life refurbishments of the Darlington and Bruce stations will generate billions in GDP, thousands of good jobs and

more high-value, innovation focused R&D. The Pickering extension will support 40,000 person years of employment alone. Renewing the Darlington and Bruce stations will add hundreds of thousands of person years of employment including ongoing station operations and maintenance, construction trades, manufacturing of materials and supplies, and engineering.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, the economic activity from refurbishing the Darlington Station will generate, on average, more than 11,000 jobs per year between 2014 and 2023. Ontario workers and businesses are expected to receive 96 percent of the economic benefits.

For more than a century, Ontario has focused on developing a secure electricity supply as the foundation of its economy. Nuclear energy has, and will continue to be a major provider of reliable, low-carbon, low-cost electricity for decades to come.

This is good news for the environment and another generation of Ontarians who will benefit from the high-skilled, middle-class jobs.

Ontario’s Commitment To Nuclear Is Good News For Jobs and Greenhouse Gas Reductions

By Don MacKinnon

PresidentPower Workers’ Union

FROM THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HELP KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.

A Great Decision For Our Province

Extending the operation of the Pickering Nuclear Station to 2025 and refurbishing the Darlington and Bruce Nuclear Stations will deliver tremendous environmental and economic benefits for Ontario.

• Avoids 10s of millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year

• Delivers long-term, low-carbon energy security

• Keeps billions of dollars here in Ontario

• Contributes to affordable electricity prices

• Sustains and creates hundreds of thousands of person years of high-skilled, good-paying jobs

• Supports Ontario’s role as an innovation leader

Ontario’s nuclear technology advantage is clearly our province’s best option for tackling climate change while generating economic prosperity and good jobs.

For more information please go to: www.pwu.ca