Activist Urges Northerners To Reject Nuclear Waste

Activist Urges Northerners To Reject Nuclear Waste

Wednesday, February 02, 2011 at 13:22

Anti-nuclear activist Jim Harding says northern Saskatchewan communities considering being the location for a nuclear waste storage facility need to think again.

Harding spoke last night in Saskatoon about why Saskatchewan should not allow such a facility in the province.

He says northern communities are only hearing the side of industry — and he says communities that are impoverished should be given a number of options and not be enticed into only one scenario.

Harding notes industry is proposing a $30 billion nuclear waste storage project, but he says there would be a lot more job spinoffs if even only a fraction of that figure were given to northern communities to build capacity for renewable or sustainable development.

Harding argues the impact of a nuclear waste facility reaches more than just the host community — he says it impacts every community that would be on the transportation route.

The Metis community of Pinehouse and the English River First Nation have formally expressed interest to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, while officials in Creighton have said they are open to exploring the idea.

Harding will be speaking in La Ronge tonight.