Only In Canada You Say?

Nuclear Facility in Chalk River, northern Ontario is back up and running, thanks to the Government of Canada.  What do politicians know about Nuclear Power Plants you ask?  Well…nothing! squat!  Yet when the facility,  which was built in 1957,  was shut down due to the lack of an up to date back-up safety system;  our,  oh so,  knowledgeable government screamed foul!  addressed the issue in Parliament and then, ordered the facility to open despite high risk safety concerns. 

  Now, you may ask, why?  Why, did our government ignore the expert advice of the nuclear safety commission and go ahead with this clearly unqualified, insane, directive?   Well,  it seems no one was taking care of business (as per usual) when governments are distracted with more pressing issues like,  military ventures across the sea.  You see,  Chalk River,  is not just any Nuclear Power Generator, no!  it happens to supply  the world with radioactive isotopes.  Chalk River Laboratories,  happens to manufacture more than half!  the worlds supply of radioisotopes;  more than 80 countries worldwide rely on Canada as their supplier.

  What are these isotopes used for you may ask?  There are three distinct ways isotopes are used, 

1. as a diagnostic imaging tool, it is injected into the patient who will literally be lit-up! from the inside! like an internal x-ray.  2. Isotopes are also manufactured into drugs and can be injected into the patient, the isotopes eventually decay and the energy they release helps destroys the tumor.  3. As gamma rays, isotopes can be directed at a tumor to help shrink and/or destroy it completely.   Very important stuff these isotopes are;  in fact one drug called “Molybdenum-99” derived from isotopes is used in almost 90% of all nuclear medicinal procedures! 

 Now,  if the government was aware of just how important Chalk River facility was to the worldwide medical community than,  how could they neglect it to the point that it was forced to shut down due to an obsolete, aging,  safety system?  Are they for real?,  did they not have enough tax-payer money to go around?  What is their excuse for neglecting the situation to such a degree that is was forced to shut down? 

  Desperate to save face as the world looked on, Stephen Harper then calls parliament together to force the facility to ignore safety concerns and open up the plant,  before the proper safety equipment is installed and running.   He has no expertise in this area!  He is told this is a bad idea!  It is recommended by the nuclear safety industry to wait!   Stephen Harper ignores all this advice and decides  to throw caution to the wind.  My guess is he is either too stupid to understand the risks involved or he is so arrogant he believes he is right and nothing will go wrong. 

  I do not believe he should stand as Prime Minister of  Canada any longer.  He would risk a nuclear nightmare for the sake of  not being embarrassed on the world stage.  He said it was for all those patients waiting for treatment,  if that were so, he would have been taking care that the Chalk River Facility was being run, safely, efficiently, and effectively. 

 He has no excuses and he has no integrity as far as many Canadians are concerned; the sooner we are rid of him and his useless drones, the better off the country  will be!   Can’t say we’ll miss ya,  Stevie ole boy!  In the mean time, lets just keep our fingers crossed.