Travel plans generate First Nations’ opposition

Ontario First Nations are once again battling it out with industry and the activity that takes place near their homes.

This time the issue is with Canada’s nuclear power energy company Bruce Power. The business of the company is set in the areas of the Great Lakes, and First Nations are concerned with a possible threat to the environment.

Bruce Power is set to refurbish its nuclear units and plans to ship radioactive waste through Canada’s waterways to be recycled.

According to John Peevers, manager of Investor and Media Relations for Bruce Power, the idea behind the multi-billion dollar refurbishment is to replace the company’s 20- to 25-year-old steam generators.
The plan is to ship 100 tonne, 16 school bus-sized, radioactive generators to a recycling plant in Sweden via the Great Lakes.

“It can separate out the clean steel and reduce the amount that can go into long-term storage by 90 per cent…it seems like the right thing to do… from an environmental perspective.”

It has been reported that there is not enough radioactive residue in the generators to do any harm to the waters if, for example, the ship in which they are being transported sinks.

However, the idea alone sits unsteady with many opposition groups, including the First Nations of Ontario.
Chief Angus Toulouse, who represents the 133 First Nations of Ontario within the Assembly of First Nations’ executive, along with the Chiefs of Ontario Secretariat, expressed his concern with the plan.

“Any amount of nuclear radioactive waste that comes through is plenty. Even the license that is required to ship these things is not being met, because what is actually being transported is radioactive levels that are 50 times higher than what is licensed even in this time. So again, there is high potential for something to go wrong,” said Toulouse.

The chief said all one needs to do is look to BP and the massive oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico last summer to know that communities can’t take industry at its word around the safety of the environment.

“There are many harmful situations that can occur when industry is the one that’s dictating to us what is safe and what isn’t,” he said.

The plan has been brought to the attention of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and is now in the review process, with mid-November being the time set for a response to the plan.

Toulouse’s concern is the track record of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and their failure to have considered First Nations’ concerns in the past.

“We have concerns around the treaty, the Aboriginal treaty title lands that could be really affected by the shipment.

“What we’ve seen time and time again in this particular case is the failure of the Crown to consult, and at the end of the day to accommodate our concerns.”

Chief Toulouse does not know why the commission has failed to seek First Nations’ input into the matter.

“There were no sessions held for the First Nations nor were any First Nations notified by any of CNSC, even about the one-day session that they planned. We managed to be notified by a non-government group, Great Lakes United.”

Toulouse said First Nations in the territory take their responsibilities to the water very seriously. They developed the Water Declaration of Ontario, which outlines First Nations’ relationship to the water, deals with the condition of the water and major themes addressing water issues.

The development of the Water Declaration has been created with input from the communities, leaders and Elders of the three predominant nations in Ontario, the Anishinabek, Mushkegowuk, and the Onkwehonwe, said Toulouse.

“The need to have at least some appreciation as to how we relate to the environment, (is why) we came up with the declaration that says how everything is interrelated, how water is the life blood of who we are. And that is again a reminder of our obligations and duty as Indigenous people on this earth, on this turtle island... We need to protect what we all believe is a right, which is water.”

While awaiting the decision on the plan transport of nuclear waste from the CNSC, Chief Toulouse continues to address the dysfunction of governments to continue to allow industry to destroy and pollute the waters.

“It’s time we make a stand and stop the potential destruction before it actually destroys us.”