US LEADERS SUPPORT MASSE’S CALL TO STOP PLAN FOR BURYING NUCLEAR WASTE BESIDE THE GREAT LAKES

December 12th, 2019 - 6:59pm

US LEADERS SUPPORT MASSE’S CALL TO STOP PLAN FOR BURYING NUCLEAR WASTE BESIDE THE GREAT LAKES

OTTAWA – Today, Brian Masse, M.P. (Windsor West), NDP Great Lakes Critic wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, sharing his support of the United States Congress Members who wrote to the Prime Minister on 6 December 2019, expressing their united opposition to the proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) in Kincardine, Ontario. 

“For years I have been opposed to this proposed DGR and have made it clear that any storage of any nuclear waste beside or in the proximity of the Great Lakes basin is both dangerous and unacceptable,” stated Masse. “ American leaders continue to voice their clear concerns and in light of the dock collapse in recent weeks on the Detroit River, we have even more reason to be concerned with this project.” 

Following the Revere Copper Site dock collapse on 27 November into the Detroit River, and not knowing the full extent of the contaminated site into the river, it has created massive concern on both sides of the border and calls for protecting the Detroit River and wider Great Lakes basin. 

On 6 December 2019, US leaders wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau stating, “ Allowing a permanent nuclear waste storage facility anywhere near the Great Lakes basin, for any amount of time, is a risk we cannot afford to take.  The recent reporting also has us greatly concerned that the highest levels of radioactive waste would also be stored at the site.”  They continued by saying,” We stand in strong opposition to any decision by the Canadian government to select or consider a permanent national repository for nuclear storage anywhere near the Great Lakes.” ( Copy of the letter is attached). 

Masse reminded The Prime Minister and Minister of Environment in his letter that an historical precedent has been set on this issue.  In 1986, the United States Department of Energy investigated a similar nuclear waste repository site in the Great Lakes basin.  In response, then Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, the Right Honourable Joe Clark released an official statement: “I and several of my Cabinet colleagues have made it clear to our US counterparts that this Government opposes any development that could present a transboundary threat to the welfare of Canadians or the integrity of the Canadian environment.”  As a result of Clark’s intervention, the American sites in shared water basins were eliminated from consideration. 

A copy of Masse’s letter,and the Congressional letter is attached directly below.