Nuclear concerns spurs motion from NDP MP Brian Masse

Windsor West MP Brian Masse announced Tuesday he will table a motion over environmental concerns.

He's worried about nuclear waste storage on the shores of Lake Huron.

The opposition critic for the Great Lakes said his main concern is Ontario Power Generation's proposed Deep Geologic Repository near the shore.

He said the project would see intermediate and low level nuclear waste buried about 1.6 km from the shores of Lake Huron.

According to Ontario Power Generation, the repository would be located 680 metres below ground, "in stable rock formations over 450 million years old."

"There is no consensus on the current situation taking place," he said. "There have been raised concerns about the environment, about the economies of this and about the legacy that we would leave for our children's children."

The motion also surrounds concerns over the approval process for the project.

"We need to lift the veil on this subject matter and have a proper, informed, mature discussion," said Masse.

Masse said his motion is not to open a debate on nuclear power, but to highlight issues of approval and best practices for nuclear waste storage.

He is also the opposition's border critic and said he has looked across the border for answers.

"We have U.S. stakeholders who have proposed legislation against this," he said. "We have U.S. stakeholders who have raised concerns against this. It's not just a Canadian issue. They have been respecting nuclear waste issues in ... a pragmatic approach on the U.S. side."