Letter to the Editor
Editor,
Meaford joins Blue Mountains on Nuclear Wastes. Last month July 28, the Municipality of Meaford passed a Resolution NOT TO SUPPORT the Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for (low and intermediate level nuclear wastes). The plan by Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is to bury nuclear wastes 560 metres deep and 1.2 km from Lake Huron, a source of fresh water for more than 40 million people living around the Great Lakes in Canada and the United States.
Before my deputation to Meaford council, I have submitted many documents about nuclear wastes in Canada and around the world. What was disturbing were two recent discoveries- First, was Mr. frank Greeningl letter to the Joint Review Panel (JRP) chaired by Ms. Stella Swanson. Mr. Greening with a PhD in chemistry worked for Ontario Hydro and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for more than 30 years as their Chemist. He stated that the inventory of nuclear wastes were significantly underestimated.
Second, in February 2014 the Joint Review Panel requested Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to report on a radiation leak at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a site for nuclear wastes Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP was cited by OPG in their Regulatory Findings as an example of a successful facility. This same facility was visited by members of the Joint Review Panel so they could better understand OPG’s proposed facility in Kincardine.
The WIPP is operated by the U.S Department of Energy and is used to store radioactive materials from the U.S nuclear weapons program in vaults carved into salt deposits.(South Western Ontario has many SALT caverns). The U.S does not have another nuclear wastes facility since the Yucca Mountain site was stopped in 2011 after 9years of construction – reason: weak geological formation.
Since Low And Intermediate level wastes will stay dangerously radioactive for over 100,000 years and there no guarantee that the DGR facility will not fail, as already this generation of nuclear energy proponents failed us about nuclear wastes. We should not put this burden on future generations. A better place may be the stable granite formation of the Canadian Shield which was suggested by Ontario Hydro back in 1988.
Municipality of Meaford and Blue Mountains go on record joining more than fifty Municipalities and Counties around the Great Lakes both in Canada and United States OPPOSING the DGR for nuclear wastes in Kincardine.
Today I am proud to be a resident of Sydenham, Meaford. Thanks to all council members, specially councillor Ms. Lynda Stephens who called for the Resolution.
Joseph Leung, Annan, Meaford
