THUNDER BAY — Groups opposed to the potential transport of spent nuclear fuel rods through rural areas — including those in Thunder Bay's orbit — say they'll start a second petition this summer calling on the federal government to subject the plan to greater scrutiny.
The We The Nuclear Free North and Protect Our Waterways groups said this week the government has so far failed to require the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to ensure that "impacted" communities along any proposed transportation routes have given their consent.
Radioactive rods from nuclear power plants could end up in a proposed underground storage site to be built either a short drive from Ignace or near the community of South Bruce in southwestern Ontario in the vicinity of an operating nuclear plant.
Last month the opposing groups presented to the House of Commons the results of an online petition bearing more than 3,300 signatures from people concerned about the transportation plan.
The groups said they were "disappointed" by the federal government's response to the petition because it suggested the site-selection process for the proposed storage facility has been "rigorous" — something the groups dispute.
The government's "response fails to address in any way the failures of the (Nuclear Waste Management Organization's) site selection process, including its very divisive nature, its use of large amounts of money to persuade communities to stay in the process, and the exclusion of the nearby, downstream and transportation route communities," the opposing groups said in a news release.
The second petition to be distributed this summer will be in a hard-copy format, the groups said.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization, which is funded by the nuclear industry, says it wants to make a decision on one of the two proposed storage sites sometime this year. The search for a candidate site has been going on since 2010.
The organization has maintained that the transportation of nuclear waste has a safe track record and that the nuclear fuel rods to be hauled — whether by rail or truck — will be in specialized containers designed to withstand hard impacts and fiery collisions.
Some municipal leaders, including Conmee Mayor Sheila Maxwell, have noted the high volume of serious collisions involving transport trucks on Thunder Bay-area routes.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has said that it won't locate the proposed underground storage site in an area where it's not wanted by locals.
The Township of Ignace has been polling its residents and having a consultant conduct interviews to gauge whether the project has local support. No decisions have been made.
Nearby Indigenous communities have also been mulling the project. Among those, Grassy Narrows First Nation has spoken out against it.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
