HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-03-16, Page 554,4
Parte Prepwr'ti-Psg. 37
Soitexpert works on nuclear fuel waste project
(NC) - While Marsha Sheppard still
occasionally finds herself elbow
deep in wet peat during field trips,
or engrossed in a research project in
her laboratory, she spends much of
her time on research reports, com-
puter modeling, administration, and
marketing her services as a
specialist on the movement of con-
taminants, such as uranium, lead
and arsenic, through soil.
Variety is one of the major attrac-
tions of her job as a research scien-
tist at AECL Research's Whiteshell
Laboratories near Pinawa,
Manitoba, the focal point of
Canada's 10 -year program to
develop a reliable means of per-
manently disposing of used fuel
from the country's CANDU power
reactors.
When she joined the lab in 1979,
colleagues who were working on
the fuel waste disposal concept,
needed to understand how ground
water might carry radioactive
substances from an underground
disposal vault to the surface. Shep-
"...science isn't a
glamour job..."
pard's job was to develop computer
models for such movement. Since
then she has worked on a variety of
projects, including commercial
research for outside clients, such as
the Ontario Ministry of the En-
vironment, which was developing a
program to clean up soils con-
taminated with lead.
Recently, she has been studying
sites where deep ground water rises
to the earth's surface. "We normal-
ly think of deep ground water
coming to the surface at the bottom
of a lake or at a low spot in the
environment," she explains. "But
we've found places in northwestern
Ontario and eastern Manitoba where
moose and deer come to eat soil
and plants that have a high salt
Ham:6. Aumons
HOWSON
MILLS
content. The plants are picking up
sodium chloride from brine which
originates deep in the earth's crust,
so that these salt licks are a good
indicator of where the deep ground
water is coming up."
Such information is used to en-
sure that a fuel disposal vault is
located in an area where ground
water is less likely to disturb the
fuel waste or carry radioactive
elements to the surface, even in the
distant future.
Not all of her activity is so tech-
nical. As a female employed in
scientific research, she is asked to
speak to high school and university
students, especially young women,
about her work and profession.
"One thing I'd like to say to au
students is that science isn't a
glamour job. It's more hard work
than a lot of other professions. I
also tell them that no matter what
'they do, it's important they enjoy
their job; that they look forward to
going to work in the morning. And
finally, I tell them no matter what
they do, they should make sure they
are technically driven because the
world is going that way."
She preaches the same advice to
her own two daughters. "Our oldest
daughter is almost 12 now and she
wants to be a dress designer. We
bought a PC and she's trying all
kinds of designs and textile patterns
on rt."
Marsha Sheppard, a research scientist, says variety Is one of
the major attractions of her job.
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Property lines
should be
defined to
avoid conflict
by Mark Cripps
Hardwood logging on private land
in Huron County could create some
'bad neighbours' if property
boundries aren't visible, says Tree
and Weed Inspector Joe Gibson.
"The loggers are having trouble
finding boundry markers in wood -
lots, said Gibson, "especially this
year with the excessive snow. Most
of the boundries are marked by
very old fences that have fallen
down and are hard to find at the
best of times."
So to nip the potential far conflict
caused by loggers inadvertently
crossing into a neighbouring wood -
lot, Gibson suggests getting together
with neighbours and redefining
original property lines.
"Put in some permanent steel
poles or some wood stakes," said
Gibson. "Spray paint them with
bright paint. Make it easier to
define boundries in the winter time,
or anytime."
Logging companies pay land
owners to cut trees for timber
useage.
Gibson said there have been some
complaints during the past year
about these companies cutting past
contracted boundries.