City councillors voted on Monday not to object to an application filed by the nuclear firm BWXT to do uranium pelleting in Peterborough - much to the dismay of a few citizens in the public gallery.

"I'm deeply disappointed," said Kathryn Campbell, who has protested lately in a haz-mat suit because she's concerned uranium powder could seriously harm citizens if became airborne. "Councillors haven't done their research."

Campbell belongs to a group called Citizens Against Radioactive Neighbourhoods (CARN); they've organized several protests lately, including one on the steps of city hall on Saturday.

But the handful of citizens in the public gallery on Monday weren't there to speak - councillors hear from the public at council meetings, not committee meetings.

When Coun. Dean Pappas moved that city councillors object to the application, it was voted down.

Only Pappas and Coun. Kemi Akapo voted to direct Mayor Diane Therrien to write to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), to Industry Canada and to MP Maryam Monsef to oppose the expansion of the licence for BWXT.

Therrien wasn't at the meeting on Monday; she was at a conference in Toronto.

Pappas said on Monday he's concerned about uranium powder being handled at BWXT when there's residences and Prince of Wales Public School nearby.

"In today's world, it wouldn't pass the zoning test," he said.

But Coun. Lesley Parnell said "safety is number 1" at BWXT.

She said she understands many young families are concerned about uranium in the city, but she called it "needless worry."

"This isn't a nuclear reactor - these are just pellets. And it's very tightly controlled," she said. "Hopefully we can reassure people - and not drive away good jobs."

BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada manufactures nuclear fuel bundles in Peterborough and assembles uranium dioxide pellets that are manufactured in Toronto.

Its licence expires at the end of 2020 and they've applied for a new licence with one change: BWXT would like to be allowed to start producing pellets at both the Toronto and the Peterborough facilities.

Although the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's staff assessment recommends that the pelleting be allowed in Peterborough, the commission has not made a decision yet and is holding a hearing in Toronto and in Peterborough in early March before any licence can be granted.

A public hearing on the application is scheduled for March 5 and 6 in the Regency Ballroom of the Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront on George Street, along with March 2 and 3 in Toronto.

Pappas also wanted council to consider adopting a bylaw to keep hydrogen from being stored within two kilometres of houses and schools (which could occur if BWXT were pelleting), but this part of the motion did not carry.

Neither did a proposal from Pappas that council receive a staff report on how the city would deal with uranium in the wastewater - that part of the motion failed, too. But they did vote to have staff report back to councillors about how the city would respond in the event of an emergency at BWXT involving nuclear materials.

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Coun. Keith Riel said he didn't think there's any potential for danger if BWXT gets its licence application approved.

"I think the public is safeguarded," he said. "This is the most regulated business in Canada."

But one concerned citizen, Christopher Robson, was upset.

At the end of the meeting, he stood and shouted at councillors as they were leaving to tell them he was concerned the plant will leak harmful chemicals.

"People are hurting enough in this town!" he shouted. "There's a public school across the street!"

Although security guards hovered around, Robson wasn't asked to leave: Clarke and Akapo came to speak to him.

Clarke thanked Robson for his "passion" on the subject.

NOTE: The story has been updated to clarify that while the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission staff assessment favours the BWXT application, the commission is holding hearings in March and has not made a decision.

joelle.kovach

@peterboroughdaily.com