South Bruce Council has accepted a petition signed by residents who are opposed to hosting a Deep Geologic Repository to store Canada's nuclear fuel.
Last night Council promised to take into consideration the concerns identified in the petition as part of the process moving forward.
The municipality has also received correspondence from residents who are in favour of the process.
The site would use the deep geological repository as part of the multiple-barrier system to store Canada’s used nuclear fuel.
No decision has been made to host the project.
The grassroots group, Protect Our Waterways No Nuclear Dump, held a COVID-19 compliant protest drive-in and parade last evening.
Spokesperson Michelle Stein said they collected about 1,600 signatures from South Bruce residents who do not want the nuclear waste site. She said their online petition has gone over 10,000 signatures.
A media release from South Bruce Council said there are still a number of investigations and studies to be done before any decision is made and the municipality continues to explore the project and potential partnerships.
South Bruce will be building a team of consultants to work independently with the municipality to learn and explore this project alongside the South Bruce Community Liaison Committee (SBCLC) which was established in 2013. The SBCLC mandate is to engage, educate and listen to the concerns raised by the community of South Bruce, gather technical and social research and information, and provide advice to council regarding the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO)’s site selection process.
“We appreciate the input from our residents and I want to remind everyone that safety is the top priority and it will continue to be at the forefront of all considerations, we owe it to future generations to fully explore this project including the benefits and the potential impacts - before a decision is made. I want to be able to look back, whether we host it or not, and know that we put forth an honest effort," said Mayor Robert Buckle.
The Municipality of South Bruce values the input of our community and we hope all residents will continue to engage and learn with us as we navigate the site selection process.