Nanoose Conversion Campaign

2150 Maple Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 3T3 (604)739-0432 Tel/Fax e-mail: iabbey@alternatives.com

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

N E W S R E L E A S E

For immediate release: March 13, 1998

MPs warned:

KEEP PLUTONIUM OUT OF CANADA

VANCOUVER - "Don't bring nuclear weapons plutonium into Canada!" say BC groups participating in the launch of a global NIX-MOX campaign. They want to stop Ottawa from importing plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) as an experimental fuel for Ontario Hydro's accident plagued Candu reactors. Plutonium is a nuclear bomb ingredient, and one of the most dangerous carcinogens on the planet.

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF-BC), the Nanoose Conversion Campaign (NCC), Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA), and the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW-BC) will sponsor a plutonium "information vigil" at noon on Mon., Mar. 16 at Robson Square in downtown Vancouver.

Simultaneous news conferences are planned in Ottawa and around the world. Candu reactor exports to Turkey are also being opposed at a seperate Mar. 16 news conference in Istanbul.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien intends to begin importing MOX this spring from nuclear weapons labs in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Parliament, however, has yet to debate the matter.

"If it enters Canada, it will never leave", says NCC director Norman Abbey. "Thousands of years from now Canadians may wonder why Chretien couldn't have simply waited a few weeks: until the all-party committee reviewing nuclear policy (including MOX) had completed its report. Pre-empting the process and avoiding debate casts real doubt on the sincerity of this government's very laudable invitation for Canadians to 'comment' on nuclear issues."

The Vancouver vigil organizers advocate proven safe-energy alternatives that don't contribute to nuclear proliferation, and they will distribute a "Nuclear Map of Canada" documenting Canada's extensive participation in the nuclear fuel chain - from Ontario's Chalk River Labs to the Nanoose Bay test range for nuclear submarines in BC.

WILPF, with SECTIONS in 45 countries, was founded at the Hague in 1915. VANA was founded in 1982 during the most dangerous years of the cold war, and the Nanoose Conversion Campaign was formed in 1984 to convert the nuclear submarine facility at Nanoose Bay to peaceful uses.

- 30 -

More information:

NCC: Norman Abbey, 604-351-1416 <iabbey@alternatives.com>

WILPF-BC: Silvia McFadyen-Jones, 604-536-3047 <silvia_mcfj@douglas.bc.ca>

or: Carolyn Kline, 604-731-4585 <ckline@interchange.ubc.ca>

VANA: David Morgan, 604-985-7147 <dmorgan@web.net>

Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout: Kristen Ostling, 613-789-3634 <cnp@web.net>

Nuclear Map of Canada: http://ccnr.org/atomic_map