Nuclear Free Sudbury, a new community organization,
has announced that it will hold its inaugural meeting on Thursday, September
8, 2011. The potential transportation of radioactive nuclear wastes through
Greater Sudbury will be discussed, along with the site selection process currently
underway to identify a community to host a long-term waste storage facility.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), an arm’s length
agency established by the federal government, was created in 2002. One of its
primary tasks was to find a permanent location for the safe, long-term storage
of radioactive materials produced by Canada’s nuclear industry. The NWMO
has initiated a site selection process, and four Northern Ontario communities are
currently under consideration. Wawa, Ear Falls, Schreiber and Hornepayne are
all being considered as permanent homes for Canada’s most radioactive nuclear
wastes.

“The NWMO site selection process is putting the cart before the horse,” said
Steve May, one of the founding members of Nuclear Free Sudbury. “They’re
going to choose a location first, and then figure out how to transport radioactive
materials there afterwards. The NWMO may be doing a good job of engaging
the residents of the communities under consideration, but what about the
communities along Ontario’s major transportation routes? There’s been no
consultation, and the NWMO doesn’t seem to be interested in consulting. Yet we
are all stakeholders in the process of finding a safe home for spent fuel bundles.”

Hosting a long-term storage facility may appear to be an economic boon for
whichever community is chosen, as between $16 and $24 billion is anticipated
to be invested in a host community by governments and the nuclear industry.
A storage facility will also create jobs, both during construction and afterwards,
when staff will be required to monitor and provide the highest level of security
possible.

However, the benefits for communities along major transportation routes, such as
Highways 69 and 17, and the CN and CP rail lines, remain unclear. At this time,
there has been no discussion between the NWMO and communities, such as
Greater Sudbury, through which radioactive materials may have to pass through.

“Northwatch, a Northern Ontario-focused environmental organization, has been
very involved with the NWMO’s site selection process,” said May. “Northwatch

hopes to build a network of community-based contacts through the north which
will engage residents potentially impacted by the transport of radioactive nuclear
waste. That’s why Northwatch is assisting with the inaugural meeting of Nuclear
Free Sudbury next Thursday night.”

The inaugural meeting of Nuclear Free Sudbury will take place on Thursday,
September 8th, 2011, at the Environmental Resource Centre of ReThink Green,
which is located behind Eat Local Sudbury at 176 Larch Street, in downtown
Sudbury. The meeting will start at 6:30, and will include a short presentation
from Northwatch. Anyone who is interested in issues pertaining to nuclear
waste in Northern Ontario is invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served.
Donations to offset the travel costs of Northwatch will be appreciated.

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Contact: Steve May
Phone: 705-688-8641
Email: nuclear_free_sudbury@yahoo.ca (note the underscores between words)