Urge U.S. and Canadian governments to prevent radioactive contamination of the Great Lakes!

Beyond Nuclear is honored to be working with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), and a coalition of 110 organizations, to protect the Great Lakes against the hazards of radioactive contamination. The Great Lakes Basin has dozens of nuclear "hot spots," from uranium mines and mills, to atomic reactors, radioactive waste storage, nuclear materials transportation, and even proposed radioactive waste dumps. Environmental groups have long urged both the Canadian and U.S. federal governments to take urgent action to prevent the radioactive contamination of the Great Lakes, 21% of the world's -- and 84% of North America's -- surface fresh water, and drinking water supply for 40 million people in eight states, two provinces, and a large number of Native American First Nations. This effort has now culminated with a report commissioned by CELA, and the filing of a citizen-initiated petition, under the authority of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 2012, officially nominating hazardous radioactive isotopes as Chemicals of Mutual Concern. Individuals and organizations can help this effort by sending letters of support (see a sample template here) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Davis.cameron@Epa.gov) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (Michael.Goffin@canada.ca) co-chairs of the Great Lakes Executive Committee, as both the  Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and  Great Lakes Fishery Commission have recently done.  More