I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3483 
To foster bilateral engagement and scientific analysis of storing nuclear waste 
in permanent repositories in the Great Lakes Basin. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 
Mr. KILDEE (for himself and Ms. DUCKWORTH) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To foster bilateral engagement and scientific analysis of stor-
ing nuclear waste in permanent repositories in the Great 
Lakes Basin. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Nuclear Waste 
by Our Lakes Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Ontario Power Generation is proposing to 
build the Deep Geologic Repository to dispose of 
low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste less than 1 
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mile from Lake Huron in Kincardine, Ontario, Can-
ada. 
(2) Members of Congress, citizens of the United 
States, and citizens of Canada have expressed con-
cern with the proposal to permanently store 
7,000,000 cubic feet of nuclear waste in the Great 
Lakes Basin. 
(3) These boundary waters are protected from 
pollution under the Treaty Between the United 
States and Great Britain Relating to Boundary 
Waters and Questions Arising Between the United 
States and Canada, signed at Washington January 
11, 1909, and entered into force May 5, 1910 (36 
Stat. 2448; TS 548) (commonly referred to as the 
‘‘Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909’’). 
(4) Article VII of the Boundary Waters Treaty 
of 1909 established the International Joint Commis-
sion, which has jurisdiction over any case involving 
the use, obstruction, or diversion of boundary 
waters. 
(5) Under Article IX of the Boundary Waters 
Treaty of 1909, either the United States or Canada 
may request the International Joint Commission to 
conduct an examination and issue a report for any 
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question or matter of difference involving the rights, 
obligations, or interests of either party. 
(6) Under Article X of the Boundary Waters 
Treaty of 1909, any questions or matters of dif-
ference between the United States and Canada in-
volving rights, obligations, or interests either in rela-
tion to each other or to their respective inhabitants, 
may be referred for decision to the International 
Joint Commission by the consent of the two Parties. 
SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION. 
(a) DEEP GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall request that, pursuant to Arti-
cle IX of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the Inter-
national Joint Commission— 
(1) conduct a review of the long-term impacts 
of the location of the Deep Geological Repository, in-
cluding an examination of the conclusions reached in 
the Environmental Assessment Report issued by the 
Joint Review Panel on May 6, 2015 (CEAA Ref-
erence No. 17520), and whether those conclusions 
would adequately protect Lake Huron and the other 
Great Lakes from the risks posed by the operation 
of the Deep Geological Repository for low and inter-
mediate-level nuclear waste; and 
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(2) issue a report on the findings of the Com-
mission to the Governments of the United States 
and Canada. 
(b) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE.— 
In the event the Government of Canada decides to perma-
nently dispose of high-level nuclear waste at a site in close 
proximity to the Deep Geological Repository or another 
site in the Great Lakes Basin— 
(1) the Secretary of State shall request that, 
pursuant to Article IX of the Boundary Waters 
Treaty of 1909, the International Joint Commission 
conduct a study on the risks to the Great Lakes 
Basin of storing high-level nuclear waste in close 
proximity to the Deep Geological Repository or an-
other site in the Great Lakes Basin; and 
(2) the Secretary of State shall invoke Article 
X of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to bring 
the matter before the International Joint Commis-
sion. 
SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS. 
The Secretary of State shall undertake negotiations 
with the Government of Canada— 
(1) to delay the final decision on the Deep Geo-
logic Repository until after the International Joint 
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Commission delivers the report issued pursuant to 
section 3(a)(2); and 
(2)(A) to delay any final decision to store high- 
level nuclear waste in close proximity to the Deep 
Geological Repository or another site in the Great 
Lakes Basin until after the International Joint 
Commission conducts the study described under sec-
tion 3(b); and 
(B) to consent to bringing the matter of such 
disposal of high-level nuclear waste before the Inter-
national Joint Commission pursuant to Article X of 
the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DEEP GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY.—The term 
‘‘Deep Geologic Repository’’ means the proposal by 
Ontario Power Generation to dispose of 7,000,000 
cubic feet of low- and intermediate-level nuclear 
waste at the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant in 
Kincardine, Ontario. 
(2) GREAT
LAKES
BASIN.—The term ‘‘Great 
Lakes Basin’’ means— 
(A) Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron 
(including Lake St. Clair), Lake Michigan, and 
Lake Superior; 
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(B) the connecting channels (Saint Mary’s 
River, Saint Clair River, Detroit River, Niagara 
River, and Saint Lawrence River to the Cana-
dian Border); and 
(C) all streams, rivers, lakes, and other 
bodies of water within the drainage basin of the 
lakes listed in subparagraph (A). 
Æ 
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