Pelleting does not make business sense
BWXT has plans to add the process of uranium pelleting to the current production of uranium bundles in Peterborough. It would give BWXT the flexibility to close its Toronto site and move its pelleting operations to Peterborough in the future.
It makes business sense for BWXT to consolidate. Peterborough is, by far, the cheapest option on paper. It would be a huge financial win for BWXT as a business to close the Toronto plant with its sky rocketing real estate prices. To streamline costs and maximize their profit margins, it would be logical for BWXT to consolidate its specialized pelleting operations at the Peterborough location.
However, Peterborough needs to look at this proposal through the “business” lens of its taxpaying citizens. With recent unprecedented stressors on our businesses, economy and health, Peterborough cannot overlook the negative impact pelleting can have on our city:
Becoming home to a uranium pelleting facility does not improve Peterborough’s image or reputation, risks health effects, affects the impact on the environment in a residential area with schools, poses risk of an accident, affects relationship with Indigenous people, brings few new jobs and affects property values.
This is not an argument against nuclear power. This isn’t opposition toward pelleting. This is about the ludicrous plan to have a class 1B Nuclear Fuel Facility that produces uranium pellets across the road from an elementary school and surrounded by our community. I appreciate that the Candu reactors need their fuel supply. But the supply of pellets should come from a remote facility.
To be clear, only those that have financial ties to the BWXT pelleting operation are pushing to have it moved to Peterborough. With all of the potential and actual risks identified throughout the recent tribunal, what is the incentive to even consider this proposal? Am I missing something?
Hence, allowing uranium pelleting to move onto Monaghan Road is one of the most irresponsible and potentially detrimental business decisions Peterborough could ever consider. We, as a community, have nothing to gain. The reality is that we have a massive amount to lose. J. Parris RN, BHScN, ENC(C)