Canadian company seeks new site to bury nuclear waste

As posted at State of NV Agency for Nuclear Projects' "What's News?" webpage:

Updated - Friday, February 07, 2020

• WNMU - Canadian company seeks new site to bury nuclear waste - By Associated Press

Indigenous communities courted as nuclear industry looks for place to put used fuel

• As posted at the State of NV Agency for Nuclear Projects' "What's News?" webpage:
  
• Updated - Friday, February 07, 2020
• APTN National News - Indigenous communities courted as nuclear industry looks for place to put used fuel - By Christopher Read

Saugeen Ojibwe Nation votes to block two of three radioactive waste dumps targeted at Great Lakes shoreline!

Beyond Nuclear wishes to express our heartfelt congratulations and thanks to the Saugeen Ojibwe Nation (S.O.N.) for its courage and wisdom. See the S.O.N. vote results, as well as press release. S.O.N., by an 86% margin, turned down Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) offer of $150 million, in exchange for the First Nation of less than 5,000 people agreeing to "host" a provincial dump-site. The dump would have been less than a mile from the Lake Huron shore. It would have been for so-called "low-," and highly radioactive "intermediate-," level radioactive wastes (L&ILRWs) from 20 atomic reactors. OPG proposed that 200,000 cubic meters of L&ILRW be buried at deep geologic repository #1 (DGR1), at its Bruce Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS) in Kincardine, on S.O.N. territory. But OPG was forced to admit that its DGR3, for another 200,000 cubic meters of L&ILRWs, from decommissioning its nuclear power plants, was also targeted at BNGS, instantly doubling the size of the dump. However, unfortunately, DGR2, for all of Canada's high-level radioactive waste (many tens of thousands of tons of irradiated nuclear fuel), is still targeted at S.O.N. country, just 20-some miles from BNGS. So the fight goes on, but the S.O.N. have shown that these dumps can, and must, be stopped.  

 

A large U.S.-Canadian coalition of environmental groups, including Beyond Nuclear, as well as elected officials and municipalities representing the majority of the Great Lakes Basin's population, stand ready to continue to join with S.O.N., to block DGR2 as well, and to shut down BNGS. The Great Lakes (see photo from outer space, above) need protection against a large array of reactor and radioactive waste risks -- they represent 21% of the world's surface fresh water, and 84% of North America's, and they serve as drinking water supply for 40+ million people in eight U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, and a large number of Native American First Nations. After all, as Ojibwe wisdom has long taught, water is life; and S.O.N. has given us all the precious gift of showing that such daunting battles can be won. For extensive media coverage in the immediate aftermath of the S.O.N. vote, and links to other groups fighting against radioactive waste dumps on the Great Lakes shore, see this link. See updates since, as well as media coverage of the lead up to the vote (including S.O.N. anti-dump statements, and even tribal marches), at Beyond Nuclear's Canada website section. And see what you can do to help, in both the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate! Please take action, and spread the word! 

Nuclear-Free Future Conversation: Poisoning the Well

"Nuclear-Free Future Conversation," hosted by Margaret Harrington on Channel 17, Town Meeting TV, Burlington, Vermont. Margaret interviews Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps about the radioactive waste dumps targeted at Ojibwe lands on the sacred shorelines of the Great Lakes in Canada. This interview was recorded on Jan. 30, 2020.

The very next day, 86% of the Saugeen Ojibwe Nation voted NO!, blocking the proposed low and intermediate level radioactive waste dumps!

The fight against a high-level radioactive waste dump continues very nearby.

Urge both your U.S. Sens., as well as your U.S. Rep., to protect the Great Lakes against Canadian radioactive waste dumping!

Would you bury poison beside your well?

So asks the group Stop the Great Lakes Nuclear Dump (STGLND), comprised of residents who live near Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Bruce Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS) in Kincardine, on Ontario's Lake Huron shore, just over 50 miles from Michigan.

(See a photo of the Lake Huron shoreline, at left.)

With nine atomic reactors on site, BNGS is the largest nuclear power plant on Earth.

Since 2002, OPG has schemed to bury Ontario's so-called "low-," and highly radioactive "intermediate-," level nuclear wastes, from 20 reactors across the province, at BNGS, less than a mile from the Lake Huron shore. A large U.S.-Canadian environmental coalition, including Beyond Nuclear, has fought hard for two decades to block the insane proposal.

But on Jan. 31, the very nearby Saugeen Ojibwe (First) Nation held a referendum, and voted to block OPG's offer of $150 million, in exchange for SON agreeing to "host" this DGR (short for Deep Geologic Repository; opponents sarcastically call it a DUD, short for Deep Underground Dump).This is a tremendous victory for the environment, health, safety, and justice.

But in early December, Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization, comprised of three nuclear utilities and dominated by OPG, named three finalist sites, all in Ontario, still under consideration to become the country's high-level radioactive waste dump, for irradiated nuclear fuel from 22 reactors.

Two -- Huron-Kinloss and South Bruce -- are only 20 miles or so from BNGS, still near Lake Huron.

The third, Ignace, is 150 miles northwest of Lake Superior.

In response, a bipartisan group of State of Michigan legislators has pushed back with a resolution opposing Great Lakes shoreline radioactive waste dumping.

So too has a bicameral, bipartisan U.S. congressional caucus.

In the U.S. Senate, S. Res. 470, A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President and the Secretary of State should ensure that the Government of Canada does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin, has been introduced.

It already has seven co-sponsors, thus far all Democrats and seven from six Great Lakes States.

Please urge both your U.S. Senators to help protect the precious Great Lakes, 21% of the world's surface fresh water and 84% of North America's, drinking water supply for 40 million people, by co-sponsoring S. Res. 470.

Similarly, urge your U.S. Representative to help protect the precious Great Lakes, by co-sponsoring the identical H. Res. 805.

Currently, 13 Democratic U.S. Reps., and 7 Republican U.S. Reps., from six Great Lakes States, are co-sponsors.

You can reach your U.S. Rep.'s and U.S. Sens.' D.C. office, via the Capitol Switchboard, at (202) 224-3121.

Learn more, including links to news coverage, here.