Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has obtained approval from a federal joint review panel for its proposal to store radioactive nuclear waste in an underground bunker (called a Deep Geologic Repository or DGR) close to the Great Lakes. The DGR is to be located at OPG’s existing Bruce Power site in Kincardine, Ontario, conveniently a mere 1.2 km away from Lake Huron.
Low and intermediate-level radioactive waste will be stored in the DGR. According to OPG, low-level waste consists of day-to-day items used at nuclear facilities such as mop heads, gloves, clothes and floor sweepings. For the time being, OPG and supporters of the DGR claim that 80% of the nuclear waste to be stored in the DGR will be low-level waste. Intermediate-level waste includes used filters, resins and reactor components. High-level waste (i.e. used nuclear fuel) is not to be stored in the DGR, as it would require a more sophisticated facility, according to the review panel and OPG.
As is perhaps hinted at by its name, the DGR will be buried 680 metres below ground, snuggled among 450-million-year-old rock formations. Environmental investigations indicated that these rock formations are mechanically strong and non-porous, meaning that liquids and gases do not easily pass through them. They are also believed to be “completely isolated” from Lake Huron: investigative tests on the fluids in these rock formations found that the fluids themselves were “ancient in age” says Mark Jensen, Director of the DGR Geoscience and Research Nuclear Waste Management Organization. On a related note, the salinity and presence of chemicals the rock formations were also tested and found to have remained stable over millions of years—meaning that they have not been in contact with Lake Huron. Jensen and DGR supporters believe that this will continue over the next several thousands of years, and that this is a safe site for the radioactive waste.
Despite the promise of the scientific evidence, the projects still needs to clear two stages. Final approval from the Environment Minister will come this September (don’t expect this to be a significant hurdle given Harper’s majority), but the project will also require the support of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, whom has yet to indicate support for the project. OPG has stated that construction will not commence without approval from the First Nations.
Opponents of the project are concerned that radioactive contaminants from the DGR will hit shallow ground water, Lake Huron, and, ultimately, all of the Great Lakes since they are all interconnected. Furthermore, the existence of the DGR could tempt future generations’ policymakers or other relevant institutional people to store more waste than the DGR can handle. The effects of such an event are frankly unknown, except for perhaps contamination of the water as above.
Supporters argue that the Great Lakes are already very polluted, and that we have this nuclear waste that needs to go somewhere and something needs to be done with it… so why not this solution? Though this is of course a logical argument, it points to a far greater issue: Ontario’s energy mix.
Ontario’s energy mix can hardly be called a “mix”: It consists almost entirely of hydro and nuclear. Nuclear generates this radioactive material that we need to “store” in facilities like the DGR. The long-term solution? Take the focus off short-term, cheap energy solutions like nuclear, and focus on cleaner renewables such as wind and solar. As for hydro, though “clean” in the sense that it does not directly pollute the environment, it certainly destroys ecosystems and has been known to wipe out species of fish and other ecosystem dwellers. This is also very problematic.
The DGR issue is just another data point in an infinitely long and frustrating list of examples illustrating Canada’s unwillingness to invest in an energy solution that does not pose risk to our environment (and yes, this includes our drinking water supply). Undoubtedly, nuclear energy has created many jobs in small town and rural Ontario, which is of course a huge benefit. In the same vein, it is important to recognize that putting more effort into wind, solar and other clean, renewable energy sources will also create jobs. Most importantly of all though, it will leave future generations with a planet worth living on.
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