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NWMO Targets Aboriginal Communities

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June 11, 2010

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was authorized to find a location for a deep geologic repository for nuclear waste in 2002. NWMO, certainly no stranger to Canadian health advocates and environmentalists concerned about nuclear radiation, has begun preparing for implementation of their Adaptive Phased Management program. Among their first tasks is identifying suitable locations and willing host communities.

NWMO’s invitation for feedback specifically notes that the proposed nuclear waste repository “will bring economic benefits, including direct employment for hundreds of people at the facility for many decades, plus many more indirect jobs” to residents of a community that is willing to take not only the two million used uranium fuel bundles now in existence, but also significantly more if Canada continues to allow the use of nuclear technologies for military use, research and power generation.

Among other activities, the NWMO has been carrying out a campaign to “educate” potential Aboriginal communities across the country about the advantages of hosting a deep geologic repository. They are looking for geologically stable locations without underground water, including areas in the Precambrian Shield.

CBC reported that Canadians are warned not to be “surprised, if the facility, targeted for a 2035 opening, ends up on Aboriginal land.” Parts of the NWMO website is dedicated to Aboriginal participation and the financial incentives are huge, “In addition to the billions spent during construction of a storage site, during the first 30 years of operation when the spent fuel is being transported for storage, NWMO estimates spending in the site community will be in the range of $200 million each year.” The report notes that some of that money would flow to local businesses.

In August 2009, NWMO and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning consultations with Aboriginal people to meet the federal government’s duty to consult Aboriginal communities. NWMO must notify the Crown of “any concerns raised by Aboriginal peoples that appear to be beyond the Project and the scope and responsibility of NWMO.”

NWMO pledged $105,000 to support the Centre in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University, calling it “a unique and historic initiative which will considerably impact on capacity building and help strengthen governance in Aboriginal communities across Canada”. While IICPH thinks that it is a noble goal to help strengthen Aboriginal governance, we are concerned that NWMO, with a vested interest in finding “willing host communities,” may unduly influence disadvantaged Aboriginal communities and their leaders when it comes to making the best decisions to protect their health and their leaders.

There has been very little interest in communities in either Canada or the U.S. to host a nuclear waste dump of any kind; Manitoba law actually prohibits nuclear waste disposal in its territories. Don’t Aboriginal leaders face enough difficulties with high levels of poverty, diabetes, cancers, infant mortality, suicide and undrinkable water without compounding their problems by increasing their exposures to radioactive toxins? IICPH has been working steadily to provide information to Aboriginal communities about the reality that it is impossible to safely contain nuclear waste.

By Marion Odell and Willi Nolan

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