Midwestern

Saugeen Shores Council Confirms Support For DGR Proposal

Saugeen Shores council has not changed its mind in regard to Ontario Power Generation's proposed deep geologic repository.

Council voted 7-1 in favour of sending a letter to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, supporting OPG's plans for an underground nuclear waste repository at the Bruce nuclear site.

Councillor Dave Myette says the community has long benefited economically from having the world's largest nuclear facility in its backyard, adding it's up to this generation to come up with a solution to store the waste that remains radioactive, in some cases, for hundreds of thousands of years.

Councillor Cheryl Grace was the only member of council to vote in opposition, and while she's a longtime opponent of the DGR proposal, she says the motion passed by council is problematic.

Grace points out the CEAA is specifically looking for comments on the latest round of information supplied by OPG, not just a blanket statement of support.

"It was asking the public, stakeholders, governments, indigenous groups to comment on the merits or shortcomings of the actual [OPG] report," says Grace. "I felt the motion did not adequately instruct on that particular issue."

OPG is proposing to permanently store about 200,000 cubic metres of low and intermediate level nuclear waste about 700 metres below the Bruce nuclear site.

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