Sen. Stabenow's "Stop Nuclear Waste by Our Lakes Act" seeks to protect the Great Lakes against OPG's DGR

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced her legislation, the "Stop Nuclear Waste by Our Lakes Act," in Detroit during the first of a series of statewide meetings with community leaders and stakeholders on efforts to protect our Great Lakes and waterways.On August 10th, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), at a community meeting in Detroit, announced the introduction of her "Stop Nuclear Waste by Our Lakes Act." U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is co-sponsoring the bill, and U.S. Representative Dan Kildee (D-MI) will introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House.

The bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. State Department to activate the International Joint Commission (IJC), a U.S.-Canadian body established under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between the two countries, to comprehensively study the risks to the Great Lakes of Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for so-called "low" and "intermediate" level radioactive wastes, targeted at the Lake Huron shore at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Kincardine, Ontario.

The Great Lakes represent more than 20% of the world's surface fresh water, and around 85% of North America's surface fresh water. The Great Lakes serve as drinking water for 40 million people in eight U.S. states, two Canadian provinces, and a large number of Native American First Nations. The Great Lakes serve as the lifeblood of one of the world's single largest regional economies.

Please take a moment to thank Sens. Stabenow and Peters, as well as Rep. Kildee, for their leadership in protecting the Great Lakes. You can phone their offices by being patched through via the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

You can urge your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the "Stop Nuclear Waste by Our Lakes Act," as well. Get patched through to their office via the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Or you can find your two U.S. Senators, and their direct contact information (including office phone numbers, fax numbers, webforms, etc.) at http://www.senate.gov/.

You can find your U.S. Representative, and his or her contact information, at http://www.house.gov/

Update on August 12, 2015 by admin

Michigan Radio's Stateside interviewed Sen. Stabenow about this legislation.

ABC12/WJRT reported on Sen. Stabenow's community meeting in Frankenmuth. It interviewed Dr. Marc Gaden, the legislative liaison and communications director with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission:

"It's a $7 billion fishery, you know, very important to people all around the Great Lakes region, whether you fish commercially or recreationally, so we've got to do everything possible to protect the water quality, but also preserve the habitat for the fish," said Dr. Marc Gaden, the legislative liaison and communications director with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The Detroit Free Press reprinted Beth LeBlanc's article from the Port Huron Times Herald.

Fox 2 News/Detroit also reported on this story. So too has the Detroit News, as well as MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.

CBS affiliate WWMT TV3 in Kalamazoo has reported on Sen. Stabenow's Grand Rapids community meeting on August 12th.

The Associated Press has also reported on this story.

Update on September 10, 2015 by admin

On September 10, 2015, the "Stop Nuclear Waste by our Lakes Act 2015" (S. 2026) was introduced in the US Senate by US Senator Debbie Stabenow [D-MI], co-sponsored by US Senators Sherrod Brown [D-OH], Richard Durbin [D-IL], Mark Kirk [R-IL] and Gary Peters [D-MI]. A companion bill (H.R.3483) was introduced in the U.S. House by U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee [D-MI].