Sen. Kirk urges EPA to protect the Great Lakes against "devastating impact" of proposed Canadian shoreline radioactive waste dump

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL)U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (Republican-IL), a long-time defender of the Great Lakes, has written the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Gina McCarthy, and cc'd the EPA Region 5 (HQ'd in Chicago) Administrator, Susan Hedman, demanding action against Canada's proposed radioactive waste dump on the Great Lakes shoreline. (See a PDF copy of the letter, here.)

Sen. Kirk wrote:

"As the Environmental Protection Agency plans to convene with officials from Environment Canada for the binational Great Lakes Executive Committee meetings in Chicago this week, I am resending the letter I sent to President Obama and forwarded to you on May 22, requesting an immediate environmental analysis to be conducted by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to assess the impacts of the proposed permanent nuclear waste repository on the Great Lakes shoreline in Canada. This Administration should block any Canadian plan to contaminate the water for 30 million Americans. The livelihood and health of millions of people in Illinois are dependent on the Great Lakes and I urge you to protect them in these disucssions.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement reaffirms the shared principles of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, emphasizing the commitment of our two countries to protecting the Great Lakes. I urge you to discuss this issue with your Canadian counterparts and urge them to carefully consider the devastating impact this proposal would have on the drinking water of 40 million people, 30 million Americans and 10 million Canadians..."