Back to Media page


Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout
Media Release

For release November 6, 1996

CANDU Sales - "Exporting Disaster"
DOCUMENT CRITICAL OF IMMINENT CANDU EXPORT DEAL TO CHINA


Ottawa -- A new study released today by the Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout says that economic benefits are non-existent and the moral costs of CANDU exports too high. It is expected that Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL -- a crown corporation) will announce the sale of two CANDU reactors to China sometime this month.

The new study, Exporting Disaster: The Cost of Selling CANDU Reactors by David H. Martin of Nuclear Awareness Project, states that:

n Domestic reactor sales in Canada have dried up, and in the case of China, export sales are being made on a break-even basis at best. Sales cannot possibly hope to recoup the $13 billion subsidy given to AECL by Canadian taxpayers.

n Regardless of non-proliferation agreements, CANDU reactor sales carry the potential to aid in the production of nuclear weapons. China has repeatedly given aid to "threshold" states building the bomb.

n The ethical cost of CANDU sales is high. CANDU exports have repeatedly involved bribery, as has been documented by the Auditor General of Canada. Pursuing such exports has effectively led to the abandonment of a meaningful human rights policy.

"We want full disclosure on the financing and terms of the CANDU sale to China. Canadian taxpayers have paid for creation of the CANDU reactor. AECL is a crown corporation. The Canadian government is backing a rumoured $1.5 billion loan. Canadian taxpayers are holding the bag if China defaults. The Canadian public deserves to know." said Elizabeth May of the Sierra Club of Canada.

"In order to sell CANDU reactors to China, Canada looks the other way when it comes to human rights violations and nuclear weapons proliferation."

"The United states does not allow its nuclear companies to sell reactors to China because China is selling nuclear technology to Pakistan -- a `threshold' state, known to be building the bomb." stated Gordon Edwards of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.

"Potential CANDU customers such as China, Indonesia, and Turkey are among the worst human rights violators in the world. Canada should not be doing business with them."

"Corruption and CANDU go together like plague and pestilence. This industry needs to be cleaned up, and the first step is public disclosure about the terms of CANDU deals, and all expenses for marketing and `agent fees'" said Dave Martin of the Nuclear Awareness Project.

- 30 -

For more information, contact:

Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout 613-789-3634
Sierra Club of Canada 613-241-4611
Nuclear Awareness Project 905-852-0571
Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility 514-489-5118