The City of Marysville, NY recently rejected a proposal from the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to dump nuclear waste off the shores of Lake Huron, in the town of Kincardine, Ontario. A resolution was unanimously decided upon by the Marysville City Council, for a number of potential health and environmental-related issues.
THE ORIGINAL NUCLEAR WASTE REMOVAL PLAN
The Ontario Power Generation proposed their idea to dump radioactive material into what they are calling a “deep geological repository.” In other words, the OPG planned to drill a roughly 2500-foot hole into the bed of limestone just off the shore of Lake Huron, as a means to hold nuclear waste for about thirty-or-so years, before being sealed away completely. This waste would have the potential to be dangerous for over 100,000 years, kept safe by eight nearby nuclear reactors, as well as an additional twelve just east of Toronto.
WHAT?
If you’re scratching your head as to why such a plan would ever be put into action, you’re not alone. On July 13th, the Marysville City Council decided unanimously that any potential economic benefit would be largely overshadowed by the enormous health and environmental risk that inevitably comes with dumping nuclear waste so close to people, and the national landmarks they live near.
Drawing from the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 2012, the resolution stressed the importance of keeping to the agreement made between Canada and the US, which stated that both governments have an obligation to protecting the Great Lakes from pollution and industrial practices.
SO… THERE’S A HAPPY ENDING?
Well, sort of. The proposal is still technically on the table, as there seems to be no clear or specific proof as to how exactly the dumping of radioactive waste would affect the environment, or the health of nearby people. While the proposal is still technically alive, the City of Marysville hopes that strength in numbers will eventually give them the edge they need to pass effective legislation that would put an end to the proposal once and for all.
