I recently returned from a fly-in fishing camp in northern Saskatchewan. This area truly defines the phrase "God's Country." It was serene, the water was pristine and, for the best part, Mother Nature controlled the balance with wildlife. I understand why naturalists and environmentalists would want to keep people out. The few human residents inhabiting the far north appreciate, understand and protect this territory.
For that reason I have sympathy and empathy with the group walking from Pinehouse Lake to the Legislature to protest the storage of nuclear waste in our north (SP July 27/11.) The waste is coming from Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec. These provinces do not want to risk their own surroundings by storing their own waste. As Debbie Morin, a protest leaders states "We're kind of a final frontier."
Incredibly, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization states they are not targeting our north, but offering opportunities to host the waste repository. I'm calling bullsh--on this. This organization will not be around decades or a century from now to clean up any mess that might result from this action.
I don't think this decision should be made by a handful of people who expect to see short term benefit, ie the Town of Creighton or leaders of First Nations communities. The whole of this province will pay should the project go awry. I expect the provincial government to step up to the plate and follow the example of Manitoba by banning the long-term storage proposal. Perhaps these eastern provinces can look at their own sparsely populated areas and store their own garbage.
If our future is nuclear energy, then those producing it had best start spending some of the of earnings on how to effectively dispose of the waste.
Saskatchewan is not a garbage dump.
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I'm shocked Mistress, I had assumed your right wing views would have supported the using of our Province as a nuclear dump in the name of a buck.
ReplyDeleteDidn't expect you to have these views.
The commission is considering storing the waste only in provinces involved in the nuclear cycle.
ReplyDeleteSK produces approx. 40% of the world's uranium supply. If we are going to benefit financially from our mining efforts we also have a responsibility to close the loop.
Our geology both in the south (large till/clay deposits) and in the north (shield rock) is ideal locations to build such a repository.
that should read "are ideal locations...."
ReplyDeleteMistress your this post has me questioning your concept of whats fair in the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree if we move into the Nuclear energy production our province should be willing to correctly deal with the waste. But as Anon 8:26 points out our hands aren't clean in this process to date. Maybe we should be responsible for the 40% we harvest as returned material.
Nuclear waste may be iky but just as the "green" movement has moved us away from just dumping recyclables into countries like China because it is cheap and Not In Our Back Yard, we have to find a home grown solution to storage of the waste. BTW it is only considered waste because we don't have the technology to harness all of it's power. Maybe a future generation will be able to do such and then we will have another power source to continue our economies growth.
"SK produces approx. 40% of the world's uranium supply. If we are going to benefit financially from our mining efforts we also have a responsibility to close the loop."
ReplyDeleteWhy? I've never understood this logic.
If I buy fruits & veg at the grocery store, who is responsible for the disposal of the organic waste that is left over after I make my supper? I am. I bought the product, so I'm responsible for disposing of my waste.