Ambient office = 77 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 114 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 116 nanosieverts per hour

Heirloom tomato from Central Market = 83 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 82 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office = 86 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Grape from Central Market = 104 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 99 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 81 nanosieverts per hour

Dover Sole from Central = 113 nanosieverts per hour

     Anthony Albanese is the Australian Prime Minister. He says that a deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines will be the nation’s biggest expansion of defense capability in its history. He added that the United States and Britain will also benefit from the partnership.
     A decision will be announced this March on how a fleet of Australian submarines powered with U.S. nuclear technology will be delivered under the AUKUS tripartite agreement.
     Options for the submarines design include a next-generation U.S. Virginia-class sub, a British Astute-class sub or a new hybrid design.
     Critics of the agreement claim that neither the U.S. nor the U.K. has the capacity to start delivering the subs by 2040. In addition, they say that Australia lacks the shipbuilding capacity to take a lead role in the project.
     Albanese said last Thursday that the technology sharing among the AUKUS partners would bring many benefits beyond the submarines.
     Albanese told the Australian National Press Club about the nation’s advance from Australian-built Collins-class diesel-electric submarines that went into service more than 20 years ago. He said, “Now, this will be the single biggest leap in our defense capability in our history. AUKUS is about much more than nuclear submarines or even technological interoperability. AUKUS is about the future. It further formalizes the common values and the shared interests that our three nations have.”
      Albanese mentioned that the three governments involved in the pact were focused on how their countries would benefit from spinoffs from the submarine-building cooperation.
      He said, “It’s a focus that recognizes that it’s not a zero-sum game. This is one of those times when one plus one plus one equals more than three because there’s a multiplier effect and a benefit from sharing some of the science and innovation. All three countries want the sum to be a benefit for all of the three nations.
      Critics of the pact argue that Australia’s lack of experience with nuclear technology will mean that it will be heavily reliant on its nuclear-armed partners. The only nuclear reactor in Australia is in the Sydney suburb of Lucas Heights where it produces nuclear isotopes for medical use.
     Unlike Australia’s homemade fleet of submarines, critics argue that Australia might not be able to use its nuclear submarines in circumstances that the U.S. or the U.K. disagree with. However, Albanese said that Australia would maintain authority to decide how and where the subs are deployed.
     He said, “Australia will maintain our sovereignty. That’s a decision for Australia as a sovereign nation, just as the United States will maintain its sovereignty and the United Kingdom will maintain its sovereignty.”
     Australia’s regional neighbors fear that a nuclear weapons race will break out because of the AUKUS deal. Australia has reassured it neighbors that the new submarines will never carry nuclear weapons.
     Australia currently spends a little more than two percent of its GDP on defense. This is above the two percent minimum that former President Trump demanded that U.S. allies spend on defense. Albanese said that defense spending would increase in the future.

Ambient office = 72 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 84 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 85 nanosieverts per hour

English cucumber from Central Market = 73 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 118 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     Currently, two potential siting areas remain as potential hosts for the storage of spent nuclear fuel. The two prospective sites are the Wabigoon Lake-Ojibway Nation Ignace area in northwestern Ontario, and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario. Host communities for the planned deep geological repository will be part of decision making for plans to manage SMR-generated spent nuclear fuel in the repository. Through discussions about partnership agreements, the NWMO will work with potential host communities to develop and agree on a process for managing future changes to the type or volume of waste to be managed in the repository.    
     Canada’s SMR Action Plan was launched in December of 2020 by Natural Resources Canada. It brought together important enablers to seize the opportunity for SMR development, accelerate adoption and lock in the benefits of this important technology. In March of 2022, the government of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and New Brunswick agreed to a joint strategic plan outlining a path forward on SMRs.
     A number of organizations from across Canada are participating on the SMR Action Plan. These organizations include provincial and territorial governments, municipalities, power utilities, educational and research institutions, industry associations and Indigenous-led organizations.
     Canada’s nuclear sector is actively exploring SMRs. To date, two Canadian SMR projects have applied for licensing.
     Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is working with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to develop and deploy the next generation SMR design at the Darlington new nuclear site in Ontario, using a boiling water reactor design. The project’s preliminary schedule is to complete construction of the reactor by 2028. Commercial operation will begin in 2029.
     Global Power First is a joint venture between OPG and Ultra Safer Nuclear Corporation. The collaboration is working to construct and operate a different type of SMR called a micro-modular reactor. The work is being carried out at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario. The site is owned by the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. It is managed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. A preliminary application for a license to prepare the site was submitted in 2019. An environmental assessment for the project is underway.
     The NWMO continues to actively engage with these and other SMR developers to ensure that any potential new types of spent nuclear fuel waste will meet stringent safety criteria for long-term management in a deep geological repository.
     Safety will also be a priority for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel to the repository. Before any spent fuel is transported, the NWMO must meet stringent safety, security and emergency management regulations set by Transport Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which ensure public safety during normal transport as well as accident conditions.
     Transportation of spent nuclear fuel will not begin until the 2040s when the repository is operational. The NWMO recognizes that transportation is a subject of broad public interest. Planning for the project has already started. Transportation planning over the next twenty years will be a dynamic and collaborative activity. There will be opportunities for everyone interested to provide input, ask questions and raise concerns.
     Dolatshahi said, “In delivering on Canada’s plan, the NWMO holds safety as our highest priority. It reflects the best in internationally-accepted design, while incorporating the flexibility to accommodate waste from future nuclear reactor designs for years to come.”

Ambient office = 60 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 89 nanosieverts per hour

Crimini mushroom from Central Market = 107 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 75 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 58 nanosieverts per hour