Despite more than 15 years of scientific studies and months of public hearings, the proposed deep geologic repository (DGR), which apparently uninformed people refer to as a ‘dump’, has been put to bed.
The DGR project was initiated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to look at the safe storage of low and intermediate level waste (L&ILW), that has resulted from nuclear power and which has been in interim above-ground storage. This is not high-level fuel waste but simply low and intermediate level waste.
The proposed DGR was to be located on the grounds of the largest nuclear plant site in the world, Bruce Power in the Municipality of Kincardine, which was willing to be a host community for the project.
Following many years of scientific studies by geophysicists and other professionals, it was determined that the rock formation of the area was the most suitable for the development of a DGR.
Unfortunately however, each Federal Environment Minister to come into power put a hold on the project continually asking for more studies. SON members of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation debated the issue, with the final ‘say’ or approval of the project, by a public vote turned down the project.
In a recent letter to the Federal Minister of the Environment, Ontario’s publicly owned power generator (OPG) said it no longer wished to proceed with the multi-billion dollar project, and who can blame them.
According to OPG, “We do not intend to carry out the project and have asked that the application for a site preparation and construction licence be withdrawn. OPG requests the minister to cancel the environmental assessment for the project.”
Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said he accepted the request and had terminated the ongoing assessment.
How unfortunate that this decision was made as it will affect the future of our grandchildren and their children because of a relatively small group of narrow-minded naysayers who choose not to be informed based on ‘scientific facts’ … but who revert to be NIMBYs.
