RENFREW COUNTY (Chalk River) — On July 27, concerned cottagers, citizens, and NGO representatives protested the dumping of nuclear waste in the Ottawa River from motor boats, canoes and kayaks.
Two nuclear waste dumps threaten the Ottawa River, which is the source of drinking water for millions of people in Ottawa, Gatineau and Montreal.
A multinational private sector consortium of SNC Lavalin and two U.S. based corporations are planning these dumps to quickly and cheaply reduce Canada’s $8 billion federal nuclear waste liability. The consortium also plans over two thousand shipments of radioactive waste from Manitoba and Quebec, to Chalk River.
At 10:00 a.m., a mini conference was held to give the latest updates on the giant, above-ground mound of radioactive waste planned for Chalk River, the planned “entombment in concrete” of the reactor at Rolphton, and the over two thousand shipments of radioactive waste to Chalk River from other locations. The protest was at 12:00 p.m. and participants met at the Old Fort William Dock Loading for the launching of boats for the peaceful flotilla on the river with loads of colourful signs and banners.
