Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2015.05.21 - 21871MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION # 15154 BY: Commissioner Michael J. Gingell, District #1 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OBJECTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GREAT LAKES To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is proposing to construct a deep geologic repository (DGR), a underground long-term burial facility, at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station site in Kincardine, Ontario Canada; and WHEREAS the purpose of this facility is to bury and abandon in the DGR all of Ontario's low and intermediate level radioactive nuclear waste, some of which will remain highly radioactive and toxic for over 100,000 years; and WHEREAS the site of this proposed nuclear waste repository is approximately one kilometer inland from the shore of Lake Huron and about 400 meters below the lake level; and WHEREAS the Great Lakes contain 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume and are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas; and WHEREAS the Great Lakes provide an irreplaceable, critical economic benefit to the entire region through the agricultural, fishing and the tourism/recreation industries; and WHEREAS the regional economic impact of the Great Lakes is estimated in excess of $4.7 trillion; and WHEREAS Lake Huron and connecting waters are a source of drinking water for millions of people downstream in Canada and the United States of America; and WHEREAS individuals, citizen, environmental groups, and municipalities and counties in both Canada and the United States have expressed concern and opposition to the location of the proposed nuclear waste repository; and WHEREAS as of March 31, 2015, 146 resolutions in opposition to the proposed facility have been passed by communities in the States of Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Indiana and in the Province of Ontario, representing 19.3 million citizens; and WHEREAS under the 2012 Protocol Amending the Agreement between Canada and the United States of America on Great Lakes Water Quality, the governments of Canada and the United States acknowledge the importance of anticipating, preventing and responding to threats to the waters of the Great Lakes and share a responsibility and an obligation to protect the Great Lakes from contamination from various sources of pollution, including the leakage of nuclear waste from an underground nuclear waste repository; and WHEREAS in the 1980's, the United States agreed not to pursue a proposed nuclear waste facility within the Great Lakes Basin at the request of the Canadian government; and WHEREAS alternative sites that pose a much reduced risk to critical natural resources have not been investigated; and WHEREAS placing a permanent nuclear waste burial facility so close to the Great Lakes is ill-advised and places the health, safety and welfare of millions of people at unnecessary risk; and WHEREAS the proposed facility places the health and safety of the citizens of Oakland County and the region who rely upon Lake Huron and it's basin as their primary drinking water source in serious jeopardy. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Oakland County urges the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to reject Ontario Power Generation's proposal to bury and abandon radioactive nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Oakland County calls upon our representatives in federal and state government to take immediate action to formally object to the placement of this proposed facility to the Canadian government and take necessary steps to protect the welfare of millions of citizens in the region. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Oakland is directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Premier of Ontario, the Prime Minister of Canada, Canada's Federal Minister of the Environment, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the President of the United States, the Joint Review Panel Deep Geological Repository for Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste, the United States Secretary of State, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the Governor of the State of Michigan, State Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the State House Speaker and Minority Leader, members of the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Association of Counties, the Macomb County Executive, the Wayne County Executive and the Mayor of the City of Detroit. Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution. missiont iStipti# ommissioner District # Commissioner District* 3 oThmissi District # j-4c-4 Commissioner District # Commissioner District # Commissioner District # o-rrYmissioner District # 'adl J. Gin co,sio Commissioner, District # Commissioner District # rf „---tEatmisioner ( District # Com issioner Dis ict # /___. , , 7, Commissioner District* missioner District # C\ Commissioner District # /e Commissibne-r District* 2o Commissioner Cornmissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Resolution #15154 May 21, 2015 The Vice-Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.