Multiple environmental specialists met with South Bruce residents concerned over a proposed used-nuclear disposal site.
An information session was held on Saturday, organized by the group ‘Protect Our Waterways – No Nuclear Waste’, with David Suzuki and Gordon Edwards among those who took part.
Those in attendance have issues with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) that the Municipality of South Bruce applied to home in the Teeswater area back in 2012.
Edwards specifically talked about the dangers of nuclear power and the waste it generates. While the NWMO states the project would not harm people and animals in the area, Edwards doesn’t agree.
“If you have radioactive material going into the environment… it’s going to go into the food, the fish, and some people are going to get cancer,” he said.
The NWMO has argued against this, claiming the DGR uses a combination of engineered and natural barriers to safely contain and isolate used fuel.
They also state the site, which would be actively managed and monitored, has the possibility of being sealed. Edwards fought against this claim.
“It’s not a solution if you abandon it,” he explained.
Suzuki shared many of the concerns brought up by Edwards. He also mentioned if the NWMO is adamant on getting this project up and running they should find a different area as many residents in South Bruce are not interested.
“If the technologists and scientists involved in disposal are so confident in the safety then they should do it in the cities which are demanding the energy,” he said.
The Municipality of South Bruce has stated that they would only move forward with the project if it’s deemed safe, environmentally sound, and is supported by the community.