Small modular nuclear reactors denounced by Ontario chiefs, but part of Indigenous conversations country-wide
[ https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/202 ... -wide.html ]
February 11, 2021
***PLEASE SEE BACKGROUND NOTES from Dr. Gordon Edwards below . . . )
Chiefs of Ontario last week almost passed a resolution demanding that the governments of Canada and Ontario abandon the small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) program and put more money into First Nations energy initiatives.
Almost, because despite heading in that direction to approve a resolution that chiefs strengthened to direct Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald to work with the governments to end the SMR program, chiefs fell short of quorum before they could vote. All resolutions were heard as part of the last agenda item on the second and final day of the Special Chiefs Assembly held Feb. 3 and Feb. 4.
The resolution was put on the floor by chiefs Duncan Michano (Biigtigong Nishnaabeg) and Wilfred King (Gull Bay).
Michano said the province’s push for SMR technology is to support Ontario Power Generation, one of the largest power producers in North America. In December 2019, Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed a memorandum of understanding with the premiers of Saskatchewan and Manitoba “to work collaboratively in support of the development and deployment” of small modular reactors, which includes nuclear waste management.
“We have to resist any type of nuclear processes. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they don’t create nuclear waste,” said Michano. “They still do. They still create radioactive waste and there’s an issue getting rid of it. So what are we going to do? Have nuclear radioactive waste on all those small communities? We need to get them to abandon that and we need to get the federal government to stop supporting the nuclear industry.”
“This is just in the planning stage,” he added, “and that’s where we want to stop it.”
Calling the industry “ugly, ugly”, King pointed out the emphasis had to be made that SMRs were not to go into any community on First Nations’ traditional land.
“Even if (nuclear waste) is buried in the Canadian Shield there’s no guarantee this won’t leak into our water systems,” said King. . . . .
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