Opposition and concerns over the transportation of nuclear waste to a proposed deep geological repository between Dryden and Ignace appear to be expanding across Northwestern Ontario.
An alliance that includes We the Nuclear Free North's Nuclear Free Thunder Bay, Northwatch and Environment North, have taken to the road touring the region.
The touring groups are collecting signatures for a fast-growing petition calling on the minister of Natural Resources to immediately direct the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to stop the siting process for their proposed deep geological repository for radioactive waste. The all-volunteer effort began Tuesday in Wawa, with stops in White River, Terrace Bay and Friday in Nipigon.
Brennain Lloyd, the project co-ordinator with Northwatch, said the petitions will be collected by mid-October, counted and given to members of Parliament to present them in the House of Commons in late October.
"It was a steady flow of people coming to sign and there were very good conversations and interest from the people," Lloyd said. "We've been really impressed by how knowledgeable so many people are."
Lloyd attributes the knowledge as residual information stemming from when the Nuclear Waste Management Organization was investigating communities such as Red Rock, Nipigon, Schreiber, White River Hornepayne, Manitouwadge and Wawa as a potential repository site.
"We got some people who were surprised to find us and we had people who are coming out and looking for us," she said. "We haven't had anyone come to the booth and not sign the petition."
She said when the Township of Ignace delivered their "willingness decision" to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization on July 10, that firmed up a commitment for the current and future township councils to support the project.
"Transportation communities are completely shut out of the (Nuclear Waste Management Organization's) so-called 'willingness process,'" said Wendy O'Connor, a member of Nuclear Free Thunder Bay.
"Outside of Ignace, there is real frustration with the (Nuclear Waste Management Organization) having positioned Ignace as their proxy decision-maker while shutting out all of the other communities along the transportation route that will be impacted if this project ever actually happened."
The alliance travelled to downstream communities including Fort Frances, Sioux Narrows, Kenora, Vermilion Bay, Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Wabigoon and Atikokan during an eight-day tour in early August.
Lloyd broke down the risks that transportation communities will bear, beginning with the short-term risk of the actual transportation of the waste.
"The medium-term risk, after the (repository) facility is in operation, is borne by the immediate community," she said. "There will be a used fuel packaging plant at the repository site where the waste will be processed and taken from one container into another container."
She said this process is technically challenging and highly contaminating, with surrounding communities being shut out of the decisions.
"The longer-term risk is borne by the downstream communities," she said.
Meanwhile, last Monday the City of Thunder Bay passed a resolution to review standards on the transportation corridor for hazardous materials for the city with an amendment urging the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to bury the waste closer to the plants, otherwise called the proximity principle.
On Tuesday, the Township of Conmee voted unanimously to oppose the transportation of nuclear fuel waste in Northern Ontario.
The Chronicle-Journal/Local Journalism Initiative
