Will Lakefield become a beryllium hot spot?

On Nov. 2, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) released data showing that levels of beryllium in the soil at all eight testing sites in Peterborough are increasing. For example, on page 28, they report that beryllium concentrations in the Prince of Wales Public School schoolyard have gone up 56 per cent (from 1.0mg/kg in 2014 to 1.56 mg/kg in 2020). The full report is posted on the CNSC website.

BWXT has repeatedly claimed that the beryllium at POW did not come from their factory 50 meters away, even though they are the only known industrial user of beryllium in Peterborough.

In Section 2.3 titled Potential Source of Beryllium in Soil near BWXT-Peterborough, CNSC stated (p.9) that, “beryllium emissions are reported by an industrial facility located about five kilometres north of BWXT’s facility in Peterborough.” Is the CNSC inviting us to believe that the beryllium in the POW schoolyard is coming from this unnamed factory in Lakefield?

The factory is apparently under provincial supervision, likely the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). In their report, the CNSC announced that all future beryllium tests in Peterborough will use a different testing methodology (called partial digestion) so that CNSC data can be compared to MECP data. That would be helpful except for one small problem. MECP has steadfastly refused to release their beryllium testing data to the public or to the media.

If Lakefield is indeed the home of this unnamed beryllium source, residents there have good reason to be concerned.

In April, the commission directed CNSC staff to do additional analysis to “clarify the risk that the increasing beryllium levels may present to the health and safety of the public and the environment, and potentially identifying the reasons for the increase and the source of the beryllium.” (pii). This report claims there is “no risk” (p.1), ignores their own past data, offers no insights into the reasons for the increase, and implies that Lakefield is the source.

Beryllium is a carcinogen. No level of beryllium is safe. Peterborough and, now, Lakefield need to be concerned. Kathryn Campbell, Bolivar Street