$260 Million Committed to Radioactive Waste Cleanup
Ottawa,
June 19, 2001
Alex Shepherd, MP and federal Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale today
announced the Government of Canada will invest $260 million over ten years
to clean up the low level radioactive waste in Clarington and Port Hope.
Immediate grants of $30 million will be paid to the municipalities that will
host the material.
"The people of Clarington have worked hard trying to find a solution to
the waste problem in their community. This agreement shows the commitment
the federal government and municipality have had to find a solution,"
Shepherd said.
The grants to the municipalities are the first step of a 10-year project to
construct long-term waste management facilities.
"Although the waste is being safely managed we have to be sure the
long-term management of it is safe as well and that the expectations of the
communities and people living near the sites are met," Shepherd said.
The municipalities have proposed facilities engineered to last at least 500
years to contain the waste. The cleanup and construction of the waste
management facilities is subject to thorough environmental assessment and
CNSC licensing, site cleanups, remediation, waste transportation, facility
construction, waste replacement, facility closure and ongoing monitoring.
Signature of the legal agreement initiates a five-year environmental
assessment and regulatory review phase in which the project will be better
defined through public consultation, technical and scientific study,
environmental assessment and regulatory review, including review under the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Nuclear Safety and Control
Act.
The Low Level Radioactive Waste Management Office will carry out the project
on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Under the terms of the legal agreement, grants of $10 million are to be paid
to each of the municipalities that signed the agreement to assist them in
addressing impacts associated with the presence of the long-term management
facilities with in the communities. In addition a program of property value
protection will be established to protect property owners form financial
losses relating to the project on the sale of their property.
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