Midwestern

CTV Covers Proposed Kincardine Deep Geologic Repository

The Kincardine episode of CTV's "W5" starts at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 1st.

Lloyd Robertson recently moderated a discussion among supporters and opponents of a proposed Deep Geologic Repository by Ontario Power Generation.

Several local residents took to the microphone at the Royal Canadian Legion on Friday, March 10 to voice their thoughts on the potential for an underground facility that would store low-and-intermediate nuclear waste in an underground site deeper underground than the CN Tower is tall.

A study commissioned last February by the federal government ordered Ontario Power Generation to examine at least two other areas, and gather information on potential environmental, geological and economic appropriateness.

The report found a site beyond the Bruce Nuclear plant near Kincardine as the best solution.

The other two options presented (Northern Ontario granite, and Southern Ontario sedimentary rock) would cost more than double the Bruce location, according to the report.

In 2015, a joint-review panel concluded the Bruce site, which is located 680 metres below the surface and 1.2 km from Lake Huron, is virtually-impermeable, ancient sedimentary rock that hasn't moved in millions of years, and would be ideal for a DGR.

However, that doesn't completely rule out a failure of some kind that could potentially contaminate the Great Lakes drinking water, on which 40-million people depend upon.

The Environmental Ministry of Canada is expected to make a decision in late 2017 on whether to approve the application for construction.  Construction also requires a go-ahead from the Saugeen-Ojibway First Nation.

Lloyd Robertson moderates DGR discussion earlier this month in Kincardine. (BlackburnNews.com photo) Lloyd Robertson moderates DGR discussion earlier this month in Kincardine. (BlackburnNews.com photo)

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