Deadline extended to Sept 15
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Letter from Transport Canada
Dated August 25 2000

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL)
Required to Discuss Accidental Spill
of Plutonium Dust into the Environment


August 25 2000

Gordon Edwards, Ph.D., President,
Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility,
Regroupemnent pour la surveillance du nucleaire

Dear Mr. Edwards:

On July 29, 2000, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited applied for approval of an emergency response assistance plan associated with the proposed importation of MOX fuel samples from Russia to Chalk River, Canada.

On August 17, 2000, Transport Canada officials advised Atomic Energy of Canada Limited that an initial review of the proposed emergency response assistance plan indicated that the plan did not sufficiently address response to a scenario in which MOX is released as a powder.

Also on August 17, 2000, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited was provided with the scenario of an accident in which MOX powder was released but contained within an area of radius 100 metres.

An area of radius 100 metres has been identified as this will require control of non-responders, will require control of several responders, will require sufficient survey resources to locate the area, and will demonstrate that the added complications of a larger area can be addressed. None of these features would be present if the assumption was that the powder was located within a few metres of the container.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited advised Transport Canada on August 24, 2000 that it will submit a revision to its emergency response assistance plan application on or about September 1, 2000.

In recognition of the reply from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, on August 25 Transport Canada posted an information note on its web page immediately extending the current comment period on the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited application until 14 days following the posting of the revision on the Transport Canada web page.

The direct link to the Transport Canada MOX web page site is http://www.tc.gc.ca/tdg/en/mox/revision_e.asp (English) or http://www.tc.gc.ca/tmd/fr/mox/revision_f.asp (French).

[signed]

MOX Comments Officer
Transport Dangerous Goods Directorate
Transport Canada   9th Floor,
Tower C   330 Sparks Street,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5


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