Keith Matheny

Detroit Free Press

The Canadian government, for a second time, has delayed a decision on an proposed underground radioactive waste storage facility less than a mile from Lake Huron -- providing hope to the plan's critics that it ultimately could be halted altogether.

Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna announced the delay Thursday, requesting additional information from Ontario Power Generation, the Canadian utility giant that proposes to store nearly 37,000 square feet of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the province's 20 nuclear reactors in Kincardine, about 100 miles northeast of Port Huron.

The repository has been almost universally blasted by Michigan residents and state and U.S. lawmakers for its potential -- however slight -- to contaminate the Great Lakes, which 26 million Americans rely on for drinking water. More than 1.5 million jobs also are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating some $62 billion in wages, studies show.

Residents, lawmakers fight Canadian nuke waste site

A Joint Review Panel created by the Canadian government in 2012 reviewed the Deep Geologic Repository and took testimony about it for more than two years. The panel last May recommended approval of the facility, saying it "is not likely to cause significant adverse effects" and "will not affect Lake Huron."

The Canadian government initially was to make a decision on the repository by Dec. 2. But in late November extended the decision to March 1.

McKenna asked Ontario Power Generation to update its environmental assessment of the project in areas including alternative locations considered for the facility -- a point of contention for project opponents who say the utility did little or no examination of alternative sites because it wanted to build the facility on land it owns near its Bruce nuclear plant in Kincardine.

McKenna also seeks more information on cumulative environmental effects of the project, and an updated list of mitigation commitments by Ontario Power Regulation for each identified adverse effect the project would cause.

Ontario Power Generation, in a statement, said it was committed to conducting the further studies requested by McKenna.

"OPG understands the sensitivity of decisions around nuclear waste and respects the Minister's request for further information to inform a science-based decision," the company said.

"OPG maintains that a deep geologic repository is the right answer for Ontario's low- and intermediate-level waste, and that the Bruce site is the right location. OPG is confident that further studies will confirm this."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, in a statement, welcomed the latest delay.

“Canada is facing a critical decision that will impact generations in both of our countries," she said. "Given what is at stake, a closer examination of the serious environmental and public health risks of this site is imperative and will hopefully lead our Canadian neighbors to make the right decision to shelve plans for this site once and for all.”

U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, called the Canadian environmental minister's focus on alternative locations for the radioactive waste facility "very encouraging."

“Storing radioactive nuclear waste within such close proximity to Lake Huron puts our magnificent lakes in danger and poses a grave threat to both the U.S. and Canadian residents who rely on them," Miller, a Republican, said. "Allowing this repository to be built on the shores of Lake Huron would simply be irresponsible."

St. Clair resident Sherry Shell was one of 88,000 people on the U.S. and Canadian sides who have signed a petition opposing the "Great Lakes nuclear dump."

"I'm totally against it," she said. "There are so many people against it, I don't know how they can't delay it and look at other alternatives."

Contact Keith Matheny: 313-222-5021 or kmatheny@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @keithmatheny.