This week CKDR News looks into a proposal to store nuclear waste in northwestern Ontario.
Ear Falls and Ignace are two communities that have expressed an interest.
Reporter Shannon Gwynne was in Toronto on a fact-finding mission and she had a chance to tour the Darlington Nuclear Facility and speak with members of Nuclear Waste Management of Ontario.
Gwynne files her second report.
“Nuclear Waste Management Ontario says aboriginal communities are being consulted in the on-going pursuit to establish nuclear fuel storage facilities in northwestern Ontario.
Mike Krizanc says aboriginal concerns need to be addressed before they can move forward.
He stresses First Nations will be consulted every step of the way.
Krizanc says they were the first group in Canada to bring five national aboriginal organizations to the table and ask them how they wanted to be engaged in the study.
He says aboriginal leaders told them that they wanted to conduct their own engagement program and feed into the NWMO study.
The NWMO also has an Elders committee that reports back to them.
Krizanc notes no matter where the repositories go, there will be either a treaty or some sort of land claim.
He stresses they take aboriginal concerns very seriously.”
