Federal election candidates across Northern Ontario are being asked to express their views on the plan to transport and bury Canada's high-level nuclear waste in Northern Ontario.
This follows a decision by Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to create "a deep geological repository to safely contain and isolate Canada’s used nuclear fuel for the long term.”
The group calling itself the Northern Ontario Alliance, which is made up of such groups as We the Nuclear Free North, Northwatch and Environment North, said the issue has not been adequately resolved.
In November, NWMO announced it has selected Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and the nearby Township of Ignace as the host communities for the future site for Canada’s deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel.
The crystalline rock area on the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is known as the Revell site and was deemed by NWMO as a suitable site for the deep geological repository.
The news release from Northern Ontario Alliance disputes many of the positions by the communities and NWMO and asks all federal candidates to step forward "to state their views on the nuclear industry’s plan to transport, process, bury and abandon all of Canada’s high-level nuclear waste in Northern Ontario."
The alliance news release further states that the Wabigoon site puts people at risk.
"Selection of the Revell site puts all of Northern Ontario at risk from both anticipated (routine) releases and potential accidental releases of radioactivity and radioactive elements into the environment. Upstream communities (east of the site) will be on the transportation routes, and the water resources of downstream communities (west of the site) face significant risk of radioactive contamination," said the news release.
The release further stated that voters have concerns about the decision to bury nuclear waste and want candidates to come forward.
"The candidates are getting the message that voters in Northern Ontario want to hear where they stand on the issue of nuclear waste burial in Northern Ontario and are being asked questions about “consent” for the project, nuclear waste transportation, whether NWMO should be required to share information, and federal subsidies to the nuclear industry," said the Northern Ontario Alliance news release.
“Residents are asking these and other related questions when candidates come to their door, at candidates’ meetings, and when they see their candidates out in the community,” said Brennain Lloyd, project co-ordinator with Northwatch.
“For years, concerned citizens have objected to the narrow scope of NWMO’s site selection process whereby two communities were ostensibly given the power to decide for the whole region whether they were consenting to the DGR being built at Revell Lake site, while multiple communities and First Nations in the region who opposed the project have had no say in the matter," said Mary Veltri with Environment North.