Environmentalists and lawmakers alike are celebrating the decision not to store nuclear waste near the shores of Lake Huron. After years of planning and lobbying, Ontario Power Generation has apparently scrapped the plan and is making good on a promise to a Canadian First Nation.
The Saugeen Ojibway Nation had the final say in whether or not to bury low and intermediate-level nuclear waste on the shores of Lake Huron. They voted 1058-170 against storing the hazardous material in their territory, which encompasses the proposed storage site.
Ontario Power Generation had insisted the permanent storage site would be safe, but they will have to come up with something else as the planned location is now off the table. The Saugeen Ojibway Nation called the vote a “historic milestone and momentous victory”. State Representative Shane Hernandez, whose 83rd District borders Lake Huron, said, “This decision is a victory for the Great Lakes and all Michigan residents, especially those who live in the Thumb… This site never should have been given serious consideration. It was too close to drinking water intakes for southeast Michigan, and it put the entire Great Lakes ecosystem at risk.”
Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.
