Citing concerns about groundwater pollution, the Ottawa Riverkeeper organization says it is opposed to a plan to build a disposal site for nuclear waste near Chalk River Laboratories, not far from the Ottawa River.
The proposed plan by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) would create a facility to hold nuclear waste for up to 50 years.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ottawa Riverkeeper joined other groups opposing the plan, including environmentalists and the Bloc Quebecois. The City of Ottawa has also expressed concerns with the plan, but said it is supportive of it in principle, feeling that it would be safer to store the waste than leave it in-situ, provided the storage solution is well-designed and operated.
“In our opinion, the operators at CNL strive to meet all regulations and derived release limits,” the Roverkeeper says. “However, regardless of best intentions the accumulation of wastes at the CNL site has been polluting nearby ground and surface water for many years.”
The Riverkeeper opposes the proposed site for several reasons, including its proximity to the Ottawa River, proximity to older waste sites, and its location in a site subject to frequent seismic activity.
It proposes that alternate sites that are isolated from the Ottawa River be considered, and that the environmental assessment consider what will happen to the disposed nuclear waste after the 50-year lifecycle of the proposed waste facility.
“Some waste will remain radioactive and pose a risk for thousands of years,” the Riverkeeper says.
CNL says it wants to consolidate all the nuclear waste around the site in one location, so it can be monitored, contained and isolated. The waste would be parimarily low-level radioactive waste, like used protective gear or soil, but there is the possibility some intermediate-level radioactive waste would be included.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission needs to conduct an environmental review of CNL's depot proposal.
Public consultations will also take place.
With files from The Canadian Press.
