U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) said on Monday that she was happy to hear Canada was delaying its decision concerning a Lake Huron nuclear waste facility.
Canadian Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq is deciding whether or not to approve Ontario Power Generation’s proposed plan to construct a deep geological repository for nuclear waste off the shore of the lake.
The three-month delay was announced last week by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and delays the decision from until after Canada’s federal elections.
“I welcome the Environment Minister’s decision to delay consideration of the proposed repository to store radioactive nuclear waste within a mile of Lake Huron,” Miller said. “Imposing this 90-day comment period, which delays the decision until after Canada’s federal election, shows just how controversial this project is and, hopefully, will give Canadian authorities time to reconsider moving forward with this proposed site.”
Miller said the waste site is dangerous to the surrounding areas.
“Simply put, storing radioactive nuclear waste within such close proximity to Lake Huron unnecessarily puts our magnificent lakes in danger – posing a threat to both the U.S. and Canadian residents who rely on them,” Miller said. “We must be proactive, which is why I have also called on [U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry] to engage the International Joint Commission to encourage the Canadian government to reassess their plans.”