Beyond Nuclear - Radioactive Waste What's New

MI State Senator HopgoodFor Immediate Release, August 13, 2013

Contact: Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, (517) 373-7800

Hopgood Releases Video on Proposed Canadian Nuclear Dump

Potentially Disastrous Canadian Underground Radioactive Nuclear Waste Repository Proposed off the Shore of Lake Huron

LANSING – Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D–Taylor) released a video today informing the public about the proposed construction of a Canadian underground radioactive nuclear waste repository about ½ mile off the shore of Lake Huron. In the video, Hopgood urges residents to sign the petition and write their federal legislators on the issue in order to protect the Great Lakes from potential radioactive contamination. The video is available for viewing at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7RUIT41Wh8.

“Many Michigan residents are just learning about this highly controversial project, but citizen opposition on both sides of the border continues to intensify,” said Senator Hopgood. “I first became aware of the planned nuclear waste dump this spring and the more I learn, the more gravely concerned I become about the prospect of burying untold amounts of radioactive nuclear waste in untested and unprecedented materials, so near to the main source of drinking water intakes for southeast Michigan.”

Ontario Power Generation is proposing to construct an underground long-term burial facility for all of Ontario’s radioactive waste at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, some of which will remain toxic for over 100,000 years. This site, less than a mile inland from the shore of Lake Huron and about 440 yards below the lake level, is approximately 120 miles upstream from the main drinking water intakes for southeast Michigan. Early news reports revealed that money provided to the host city and surrounding areas may be clouding the issue.

Senator Hopgood and Representative Sarah Roberts are also inviting the public to join them, and a panel of experts, for a town hall to discuss the proposed repository. The town hall will take place on Monday, August 19th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Keith Center Lecture Hall on the 2nd floor of Wayne State University Law School, 471 West Palmer Street, Detroit, MI 48202. The petition is available at www.cleanmiwater.com.

###

Update on August 15, 2013 by

admin

MI State Sen. Hopgood and Rep. Roberts have released a flier about the August 19th town hall meeting. Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps has been invited to join Ed McArdle of Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter, and Beverly Fernandez of Stop the Great Lakes Nuclear Waste Dump, on the panel.

On August 13th, Kevin filed a written submission to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, protesting the fatally flawed environmental assessment of cumulative impacts on the Great Lakes associated with the proposed radioactive waste DUD at Bruce. CNSC and CEAA are proceeding full steam ahead with licensing the insane proposal, and are about to hold oral hearings from September through November. Kevin will testify for 30 minutes before the Joint Review Panel.

Many other groups, including Northwatch and Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, also filed written submissions by the arbitrarily short Aug. 13th deadline.