NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE - THE TRUST ISSUE

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record has this story "Who is willing to store our nuclear waste?" It covers more than one entire newspaper page. The timing is equisite for those proponents of siting nuclear waste in or around residential communities. Unemployment is high and rising and any jobs generally speaking are better than none.

The economic arguments and even the moral ones are very strong. We all use energy derived from nuclear power including here in Woolwich Township. We have an obligation to be responsible with the radioactive waste produced. This generation as well as the next needs employment that this repository could assist with.

I have a few questions for readers. One is if they want to put this stuff hundreds of metres below ground why would you do so anywhere near one of the Great lakes? Secondly why do you need to put it anywhere near human communities? This is a vast land. Yes we have roads, helicopters and planes. Why not site this thing in a country as large as Canada where people are not nearby? Thirdly and this for me may be my biggest concern. Professional liars are in charge of the process. They are also known as politicians. Here in Canada we have both world class politicians and world class liars. Often they go hand in hand. Here in Elmira and Woolwich Township our political authorities have been involved in a twenty year plus scam and intentional deception of the public in regards to our drinking water. To date I still have confidence in our current municipal Council but that's it folks. Past municipal Councils, Regional and provincial governments have lied, deceived and covered up the truth and still are.

So if you can't trust the driving force behind this process (government) why would anyone think that they would negotiate with you in good faith? Citizens will be given the mushroom treatment plus the benefits will be magnified and the risks minimized. This is where the rubber hits the road for me regarding storage of nuclear waste in anyone's community.