Despite concerns expressed at town hall meeting—construction continues unabated
To the Expositor:
An emergency meeting was conducted Wednesday, October 2 by the Township of Nairn and Hyman (TNH) and the Township of Baldwin (TB) in regards to a plan to deliver radioactive waste from Nipissing First Nation (NFN) to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA) located north of Webbwood, Espanola and Nairn. More than 40 members of the public attended.
This meeting followed a town hall conducted on September 11. Despite a request for information and a halt to proceedings following this gathering by THN and TB, construction carried on around ALTMA.
Attendees at the town hall were misinformed that the fill arriving from NFN was “NORM” (Normal Occurring Radioactive Material) when in fact the fill was radioactive uranium and niobium, heavy metals and chemicals represented as tailings, of significantly higher risk to human health and the environment.
As a fellow attendee pointed out, “a professional engineer with a BSc. in chemistry was present and outlined that the proposed waste was in fact tailings, with uranium, niobium (neither of which are naturally occurring), heavy metals and possibly acid (as in ‘acid rain’). None of the ministries are responding to requests for more information. Nor is it known whether the “tailings” to be trucked from NFN have been tested for uranium, and if they have been tested, what the results are. The Beaucage Mine/Mill was the first of its kind in North America (an experimental mine with experimental processes) and we learned at the most recent meeting that the mine had to be shut down after nine months —this left contaminated ore which hadn’t been completely treated to be sent directly to the “tailings” (now the subject of this current proposal). They want to ship these tailings to the former Agnew Mine site.”
The Beaucage experiment was a failure.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has committed to providing the townships with recent inspection reports from ALTMA.
In an email dated October 2, 2024, CNSC has stated: “…we have not yet accepted mine’s plans for movement of niobium material to the ALTMA site, we have some remaining questions relating to management of water that might come into contact with Beaucage tailings after they are emplaced at ALTMA but before they are covered. Because of that, we can’t say anything on timeframe for material movement. We are neither trying to push this project forward, nor trying to slow it up—but we won’t allow it to progress until we are satisfied that the work will be safe for workers and the environment.”
Water from the Lake Agnew area will eventually flow into the North Channel.
Citizens around ALTMA must be provided full disclosure of information from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), and CNSC relating to the proposed shipment of radioactive materials from NFN. Full disclosure would include monitoring results of air, water, and soil from ALTMA and NFN. Only then can an informed decision be made.
A motion was carried to demand no shipments of radioactive material from NPN until further information is provided. TNH and TB are to be notified in advance of any shipments to ALTMA (presently, there is no duty to inform from MNR, MTO and CNSC). Also, any fill to be used at ALTMA must be clean fill.
A most remarkable event occurred during the emergency meeting. A councillor requested a break in proceedings to speak with the public regarding new CNSC information that had just been presented. All council members and staff present made a point of speaking to all citizens present, canvassing their concerns. Following the meeting, council and staff once again made themselves available. Other municipalities would do well to follow this example.
I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the unfortunate situation faced by Nipissing First Nation. I appreciate they don’t want this radioactive material either. Other solutions must be considered.
More to come.
Zak Nicholls
Little Current
