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10 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, February 14, 1979 Section Two Canadian Club Brought Up to Date on Eldorado Uranium Refinery Plans Eldorado planned its expan- sion of uranium hexafluoride production after predicting that the world need for this substance would increase. Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is used in the produc- tion of fuel for nuclear power- plants other than the kind of powerplants built in Canada. It is sold in countries such as the U.S. and overseas nations. Mr. Stinson said that Eldorado had the established markets and the technology. The company had predicted that the world demand for UF6 would be exceeded by 1980. Adding a note of caution in his speech, the Eldorado official said that other competing companies who manufacture UF6 could build their own refineries before Eldorado builds its refinery if delays continue too long. Dealing with the issue of safety in the uranium refinery, Mr. Stinson assured his audience that Eldorado's operations are safe. Using samples such as: "yellowcake" (refined uranium ore) Mr. Stinson measured the amount of radiation they emitted by a geiger counter. In his demonstration, he showed that yellowcake and the waste products from Eldorado's Port Hope refinery emit no more radiation than does a 20 year old watch with a dial illuminated by radium. History In addition to discussing the future of Eldorado, Mr. Stinson also talked briefly about its past. Originally formed in the 1930s, Eldorado was a public company and its first product was radium. Later, in the 1940s, its shares were purchased by the Canadian Government and Eldorado became a crown corporation. In 1960 Eldorado started to produce uranium dioxide which is used in Canadian nuclear reactors and it later produced uranium hexa- fluoride for overseas sales. The corporation now employs over 1600 persons inclùding 525 at the Port Hope refinery. Courtice Secondary School's Marketing Class Fitness. It gives much more than it takes. This photo shows some of the students from the Grade 12 Marketing Class at Courtice Secondary School who prepared the advertisements on these pages. Front row includes, left to right; Susan Lee, Carol Conroy and John Morielli. Back row left to right includes: Cathy Osborne, Steve Huisman, Cindy Gillard and their teacher, Mr. John Barrie. - Photo by Rick Wunderlich. Bill Stinson, of Eldorado Nuclear Ltd., demonstrates the safety of waste materials which are created as a result of Eldorado's operations. In his left hand he holds a bottle of the waste material and in his right he is holding a geiger counter which is used to measure radioactivity. He showed members of the Bowmanville Men's Canadian Club last Wednesday that there was no more radioactivity in this sample than there was in a 20-year-old watch. It was almost one year ago that a federal panel investi- gating a proposed $100 million uranium refinery project planned for Port Granby turned in its report. The document appeared to rule out the hamlet on the southeast corner of Newcastle as a possible home for the Eldorado Nuclear Limited plant. But, members of the Bow- manville Men's Canadian Club learned last Wednesday that Eldorado has not been idle in its search for another refinery location that would be acceptable. "It was quite a blow to us," said guest speaker Bill Stinson when he described how Eldorado felt about the Port Granby decision a year ago. Mr. Stinson, who has been designated the new manager of the proposed hexafluoride refinery, told the Men's Canadian Club that his company did not expect the Port Granby site would be rejected. However, he pointed out that the panel turned down Port Granby because it felt that the construction of a refinery at that location would be an industrial intrusion into a rural lifestyle. Advantages Other conclusions of the panel indicated that the refinery would be desirable - but perhaps at a site other than Port Granby. The panel was of the opinion that there was an economic advantage for Canada in the construction of the project. The panel also decided that the plant would be environmentally safe with no hazards from radiation. In his speech to Canadian Club members and guests at St. Paul's United Church in Bowmanville, Mr. Stinson said that the new environ- mental studies and hearings followed the Port Granby decision. Using new criteria, Eldorado decided that it would only pursue construction plans at communities where there was local political and com- munity support. New sites at Hope Town- ship, Sudbury and Blind River were considered during 1978 and Mr. Stinson said that at all three sites there was local support for the refinery. Report Soon He said that the environ- mental panel is expected to release its report on the new sites by the third week in February. A cabinet decision on the location of the refinery is hoped for immediately afterwards - possibly by the middle of March. As with the hearings on the Port Granby site, the new round of hearings offered groups and individuals a chance to present briefs for or against the project. Unlike the Port Granby hearings at Bowmanville. and Newcastle there was considerable .sup- port favoring Eldorado. "A lot of briefs that were presented were for it (the refinery)," Mr. Stinson said. He noted that the proposed uranium hexaflouride refinery would produce jobs for between 200 and 220 persons. Grants-in-lieu of taxes paid by Eldorado could amount to $400,000 annually. Mr. Stinson noted that the steps Eldorado has already taken towards getting refinery plans off the ground have cost several million dollars. Costs The environmental study on the Port Granby site cost an estimated $1 million and site investigations and reports on each of the three proposed sites at Blind River, Sudbury and Hope Township cost one-half million dollars each. Going further back in the history of the planned refinery, Mr. Stinson said that IT THE TRPIL FO SPORTS AND SKi SHOPi!! 85 King Street West 623-3421 ON ALL WINTER STOCK INCLUDING ... SKIS - DOWNHILL AND CROSS COUNTRY SNOWSHOES SKATES- MEN'S, WOMEN'S, AND CHILDREN'S AND MUCH, MUCH MOREl!!