A physically distanced protest against the possibility of a deep geologic repository for high level nuclear waste near Teeswater is set to take place in South Bruce this evening.
The event is organized by a group called “Protect Our Waterways, No Nuclear Waste.”
Spokesperson Michelle Stein says a procession of cars will travel from the Teeswater Community Centre to Mildmay, making noise and she hopes raising awareness about their cause.
Stein says South Bruce is one of two locations still being considered by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) as a used nuclear fuel storage location. The other is Ignace, in Northern Ontario.
Her group is skeptical a DGR could be stable and they're worried about nuclear waste leaking in an area that is geographically close to the Great Lakes.
“We're encouraging people to put on a yellow shirt and decorate their vehicle with some yellow balloons or yellow No Dump signs. Preferably something yellow on the outside so that it's obvious you're part of our protest parade,” says Stein.
Stein says participants will meet at 5:45 p.m. where they'll have a paper petition for signing. She says so far, going around the community before COVID-19 hit, it has about 1,500 signatures. Stein notes an online petition her group posted early this year, has around 10,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, NWMO Regional Communications Manager Becky Smith says, “We are heartened that more people than ever are engaging in dialogue, and sharing their thoughts, questions and concerns. We are still a few years away from selecting a site and we want to ensure everyone in the community has a chance to learn and make an informed decision. The NWMO has been clear that the project will only be sited in an area with informed and willing hosts.”
Smith adds, it's not up just to the NWMO to decide on the project saying, “Interested individuals and municipal leaders will need to work collaboratively to develop a shared vision for the project, including what appropriate measures for community willingness may be.”
The NWMO aims to identify a preferred site by 2023.
An online update from the NWMO on its website says the next part of the process to determine the suitability of roughly 1,300 acres of land outside Teeswater includes field studies that involve “borehole drilling, geophysical studies, environmental monitoring, and other site investigation work such as Indigenous cultural verification.”
Right now, the Municipality of South Bruce has a comment period open to people who participated in a workshop on the subject, but it is also welcoming public comments on a draft report until June 30th.