Wednesday night’s meeting at Nairn’s community centre was filled with around 200 people concerned about plans to transport radioactive waste to the local area.
The first two hours focused on presentations by Mines and Transportation ministries and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission providing background of the project.
The project involves transporting naturally occurring radioactive material, commonly called NORM, from three sites on Nipissing First Nation (from the former Beaucage Mine) to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area.
The Ministry of Mines representative admitted there had been no public consultation about the plan initially proposed back in 2017, which was a major bone of contention with the crowd, and most attendees do not want the NORM transported to the Agnew area.
The two ministries now state they welcome all feedback from the public and all the information gathered will be considered as they ‘determine next steps and timelines.’
Both the townships of Nairn and Hyman and Baldwin also have a joint petition calling for a halt to the project until the consultation process is completed, which was signed by many in attendance.
The member councils will discuss their next moves at their next regular meetings.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission representative pointed out a Regulatory Oversight Report focusing on both closed and active mines is expected in January of next year.
The Northwatch advocate (founded in 1988, Northwatch is an advocate for environmental protection and public participation in environmental decision-making in northeastern Ontario) says the municipalities should apply for funding to address environmental and transportation concerns directly to the commission.
Any questions about the Agnew Lake area can be directed to the Ministry of Mines by email at: [email protected]
Any questions on the transportation of the material can be directed to the Ministry of Transportation by email at [email protected]
