The Lake Huron Waste Disposal Debate

The Star.com

Ontario Power Generation has been pushing for burying nuclear waste near Lake Huron for over a decade now, despite encouragement to consider other Ontario waste removal services.

Nuclear plants produce a great deal of waste, and currently, they keep it above ground. To aid with waste disposal, Ontario Power Generation decided to make Kincardine the designated burial site, since it has its own nuclear plant already, and chose a spot just over a kilometre away from Lake Huron. This could potentially mean more jobs and employment opportunities for the town’s residents.

As long as the nuclear waste doesn’t spill into Lake Huron’s waters, many advocate that Kincardine is an ideal burial location. But now that the dump’s size may be two times bigger than what it was originally planned to be, the dump is being put into question. Certain discarded pieces will need to be put elsewhere due to their severe radioactivity. People are worried that the hazardous nature of the discarded pieces will have dire consequences.

 The spring of 2015 was a time of going back and forth on the decision, and in 2016, Liberal environment minister Catherine McKenna requested that other possible spots be looked at. The Ontario Power Generation’s investigation report came back vague, failing to suggest any other spots that could be viable options.

Both sides feel as though they are at a loss, and understandably so. Kincardine could be a convenient location now, but in a few years’ time, another perfect location could be discovered with more in-depth searching. However, who knows if the appropriate amount of time and or research will ever be invested in this effort.

Due to the fact that municipal politicians approve of burying the waste in Kincardine, it will likely end up being the location as long as the First Nations of the area approve. If that happens, the twelve-year-long debate will finally draw to a close.