Nuclear waste to travel through Ontario to the U.S.

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Environmentalists say they are disappointed with a U.S. court’s decision to ship radioactive waste from Northern Ontario into the United States. The nuclear waste would travel along the QEW and through Niagara. The Niagara region says it is not prepared or equipped to a handle a nuclear spill.

It would travel from the Canadian nuclear laboratories in Chalk River, Ontario, along the 401 and QEW, across the Peace Bridge to a disposal site in Savannah river, South Carolina.

About 23 000 litres of material are to be shipped back to the U.S. as part of an international agreement signed back in 2010. The nuclear material would be shipped in trucks in liquid form, which the U.S. department of energy says poses the same dangers if it were in solid form.

“We are worried about the fruit lands and the people living nearby and who is supposed to come and make sure that if there is an accident that it doesn’t go into our ground water. Can they do that?” Gracia Janes

According to Niagara region, the answer is no.

“We have never talked about a spill of radio active material and we are not prepared to deal with that in an appropriate manner to keep people safe. That is for sure.” Alan Caslin, Niagara region.

The Niagara region filed a motion in 2015 to stop the material but had no success. The regional chair says he couldn’t get a response from governments on either side of the border to his call for a risk assessment and part of his concern is that no information has been provided about the escort or what measures will be put in place to protect the shipment as it makes its way through Ontario’s communities.