Chalk River nuclear expanding

0
78

Did you know that nuclear technology in Canada is changing? We should be able to rely on strong nuclear waste policies to guide these changes. However, policies that aim to address radioactive waste in Canada either don’t exist or aren’t strong enough.

One of these changes is a proposed increase in nuclear power using Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Canada is exploring SMRs, a supposedly clean technology, as a way to address climate change. Chalk River Laboratories, on the banks of the Ottawa River, is among the locations being considered to test the potential of SMRs.

SMRs, while smaller than traditional nuclear power facilities, are still large, multi-story facilities. And SMRs produce waste. Where will this waste be stored? How will it affect our watershed?

Strong nuclear waste policy is necessary to determine environmentally-responsible answers to these questions.

You want the health of the Ottawa River to be considered when major decisions are being made about nuclear waste disposal sites on its shorelines.

You also want strong policy available to guide the future of nuclear technology in Canada. Nuclear technology is changing. New changes require new responses. We are committed to making sure Canada approaches these changes safely, responsibly, and with consideration for the health of the Ottawa River.

Larissa Holman, Ottawa Riverkeeper
Ottawa