Brett Thoms
Pontiac April 8, 2022
Mayor Roger Larose of the Municipality of Pontiac (MoP) says he is concerned about the proposed near-surface dump site for low-level radioactive waste at Chalk River.
In an interview with THE EQUITY, Larose said he would propose a resolution at Tuesday’s MoP council meeting in support of . . .
the MRC Pontiac’s resolution on the Chalk River site, which was passed last December.
The MRC’s resolution called for the dump site proposed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to be moved as far away from the Ottawa River as possible.
“We don’t want the Ottawa River contaminated if a leak or something happens,” said Larose. “That’s really important because we take our water from the river, and we don’t want to take a chance on that.”
He believes the issue should be important to anyone who lives along the Ottawa River.
Larose said he was also concerned with the transport of any waste headed to the dump site from other locations, saying the potential accidents involving nuclear waste could also contaminate the Ottawa River.
Larose said that he has been following the issue for the last four years and has received most of the information about potential problems from government agencies.
He didn’t comment on whether or not it would be appropriate to house the site on Indigenous territory without their consent, saying that would be up to the federal government.
The mayor also stated the MoP has not received money for the CNL in the past five years and that his council shares his concerns about the proposed dump site.
Larose said he hoped the message delivered by the Pontiac at the upcoming public hearings hosted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission on May 31 will oppose the site.
“We shouldn’t be stuck with something if that can cause a big problem in the future,” concluded Larose.
