DGR Action: Bill in Michigan Senate, Motion in Canadian Parliament, Ontario Election, Hearing Resumes

Thanks to Brennain Lloyd of Nukewatch for compiling the following updates on the DGR (Deep Geologic Repository) for "low" and "intermediate" level radioactive wastes, targeted at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station for permanent burial!

Michigan State Senate's Natural Resources Committee Considers Nuclear Waste Burial Bill 948 - Deadline for Written Submissions June 4th!

The Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes Committee of the Michigan Senate has  Senate Bill 948 on its agenda for Thursday, June 5th. The Bill would "expressly prohibit storage or disposal for certain radioactive waste and establish advisory board on proposed Ontario repository". The Committee will also be considering three concurrent resolutions which urge the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, and the Congress of the United States, the International Joint Commission on Boundary Waters and the Great Lakes Commission to all take various actions to oppose and/or further study the risks and impacs of OPG's proposed nuclear waste burial scheme. The Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. in room 210 of the Farnum Building in Lansing, 125 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Committee Clerk CJ Galdes has indicated that all written submissions received by 5 pm on Wednesday, June 4th will be included in the Committee members' information packages. Email the clerk at cgaldes@senate.michigan.gov.

Ontario Election 2014

Questions to party leaders in the Ontario Election 2014 ask each of the four major political parties wither - if elected - they will direct OPG to suspend its efforts to bury nuclear waste beneath the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, and commission an independent examination of alternatives to nuclear waste burial and submit the findings to the Legislature. The Leaders' Survey is the product of a collaboration of public interest groups who have been active participants in the review of Ontario Power Generation’s proposed Deep Geologic Repository of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Wastes. Responses and analysis will be posted on www.bruce-nuclear-waste-burial.ca on Friday, June 6th. The Inverhuron Committee also prepared election questions about OPG's proposed Deep Geological Repository.

Masse to Table Motion Concerning Nuclear Waste Storage Near Great Lakes

Ottawa, ON-- Brian Masse, MP Windsor West and Official Opposition Critic for the Great Lakes, announced last week that he will table a motion raising concerns over the safety of Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) near Lake Huron's eastern shore. The motion also addresses the validity of the Joint Review Panel and regulatory approval process for the project. Masse was joined by representatives from The Inverhuron Committee, Save Our Saugeen Shores (SOS), the Bluewater Coalition Against the DGR and Northwatch when he made the announcement on Parliament Hill on May 27th.

DGR Hearing Restarts September 9 in Kincardine

The Joint Review Panel appointed to evaluate Ontario Power Generation's proposal to bury nuclear waste beside Lake Huron announced on June 3rd that the hearing will restart on September 9th for an estimated two weeks. Anyone wishing to make a presentation must fill out a Hearing Participation Form  by June 23rd. Written submissions will be required by July 21st and any supporting materials - such as presentation slides - must be submitted by August 25th.

The Review Panel has identified a short list of subjects to be addressed during the reconvened hearing. They are: the methodology used to determine the significance of adverse environmental effects; updates to the geoscientific verification plan; expansion plans for the DGR project; relative risk analysis of alternative means of carrying out the project; implications of revisions to the reference waste inventory; and  the applicability of recent incidents at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to the safety case for the DGR project. The revised hearing procedures provide additional detail on the subjects to be addressed.