Jorge Maria
Pontiac Nov. 10, 2021
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has scheduled public hearings to consider an amendment to the operating license of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) that would . . .
authorize the construction of the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) at Chalk River.
The first part of the hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22, and the second on May 31.
The announcement issued by CNL describes the hearings as an opportunity for various stakeholders, including Indigenous communities and members of the public, to present comments to CNSC commissioners.
Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area has fought for years to prevent the current plan for an NSDF from going ahead.
“The changes that were made between the initial draft environmental impact statement and the final impact statement were not anywhere near enough to satisfy us,” Ole Hendrickson, a member of the group, told THE EQUITY.
“Putting long-lived nuclear waste that close to the Ottawa River is unacceptable,” he said.
The group’s press release, co-signed by Johanna Echlin of the Old Fort William Cottagers’ Association, goes further.
“Many citizens’ groups, along with NGOs, First Nations, and more than 140 downstream municipalities are opposed to the plan,” says the release. The group says the proposed site also fails to meet international guidelines for keeping nuclear waste out of the environment.
For its part, the CNL believes that the facility is the best solution to protect the surrounding environment.
“The licensing, construction and operation of the NSDF is critical to the successful cleanup and remediation of the Chalk River Laboratories campus,” said Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO, in a written statement.
“We think it’s a sham,” said Hendrickson, commenting on the planned hearings.
“The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has never refused to give a license,” he said.
Hendrickson noted the next environmental assessment report is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2022.
