2011:01PU NEED FOR REALISTIC INSURANCE FOR NUCLEAR INCIDENTS
Whereas 1 in 2004, the National Council of Women of Canada adopted as policy:
a. the rejection of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.’s concept for burial of nuclear waste
b. the need for a broad-based public debate on the energy future of Canada, with a specific focus on the need for alternative sources of energy, energy efficiency and energy conservation
c. the need for significant expenditures on the search for safe technology to treat nuclear waste; upgrading of nuclear site storage and safety; development of alternative sources of energy, energy efficiencies and energy conservation; improvements for international radiation standards, to reflect gender, age, health, long-term low level radiation exposure by workers and the public and environmental impacts e.g. air, water and soil
d. the need for a Federal/Territorial/Provincial Environmental Assessment of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) recommendations
e. opposition to the expansion of the nuclear industry in Canada, and the need for a phase-out of nuclear plants at the end of their life cycle, and the need for a ban on the importation of high-level radioactive waste for any purpose; and
Whereas 2 in 2008 the National Council of Women of Canada adopted as policy that:
a. the mining of high grade uranium be phased out, in tandem with the phase-out of nuclear plants at the end of their life cycle
b. the mining of low grade uranium not be allowed as a replacement for high grade uranium
c. in the interim, active mines and mills be made safe and abandoned mines be cleaned up and secured; and
Whereas 3 rather than phase out nuclear power, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario are in the process of refurbishing older plants, and Ontario has plans for a second generation of nuclear plants, with all the risks that this entails; and
Whereas 4 there would be substantive physical, social, health and environmental costs should a major nuclear incident take place at any of these reactor locations; and
Whereas 5 The Government’s proposed Bill C-15 an Act Respecting Civil Liability and Compensation for Damage in Case of a Nuclear Accident (NCLA):
a. fails to require Canada’s nuclear industry and government to publish a full spectrum of information relevant to nuclear risk and insurance, with the current information often being incomplete, inaccurate or misleading;
b. fails to take into account the precautionary principle;
c. requires insurance coverage for the nuclear reactor operators that falls well short of independently-assessed projected costs; and transfers the balance of insurance costs to the public; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy, that:
a. nuclear reactor operators be required to carry insurance that fully covers any potential on or offsite environmental, social, health and economic costs of a nuclear incident;
b. the public have access to all information regarding the environmental, social, health and economic costs of potential nuclear incidents; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
a. require nuclear reactor operators to carry commercial insurance that covers the total costs of a full range of nuclear incidents, as determined by an independent detailed, life-cycle analysis of the full environmental, social, health and economic costs of such an incident, on or offsite, and
b. regularly publish a full spectrum of information relevant to nuclear risk on and offsite of nuclear installations and nuclear insurance costs.