Indigenous community votes down proposed nuclear waste bunker near Lake Huron

March 28, 2025 By: Alyx Mcintosh

The municipality of South Bruce was one of two regions in consideration to construct a nuclear waste storage facility. Site selection was based on geologic composition, through deep geological repository surveys, the efficiency and safety waste transportation, as well as community acceptance. The proposal was met with both acceptance and opposition. The results of the vote revealed almost a 50/50 split, with only 1.2% more citizens in favour of the project. Support for the facility was based on the economical benefits the facility would bring, including more jobs and subsidies. People who opposed had concerns about decreases to farmland value, and environmental risks, including water contamination (Donnini, 2024).

There are a lot of aspects to consider, for instance if there is already nuclear waste being produced, and it would make sense to have a waste facility nearby the power station. It would also make sense to have waste stored away from the power station, so as to not concentrate environmental hazards in one region. Personally, I stand with the 48.8% of people who oppose this project. Likewise, this is a complex issue, because while nuclear energy is a reliable carbon free energy source, there are environmental risks to consider, including pollution from nuclear waste and uranium extraction (mining) and processing. Nonetheless, I believe there are other alternative and avenues for energy generation (renewable) that won’t risk the health of communities or our planet, and can still provide economic benefits (jobs). Furthermore, uranium is a non-renewable resource, therefore it cannot be relied on indefinitely for energy generation, and will drive prices up as the resource is depleted (Marsh, 2021). Therefore nuclear energy is not a sustainable pathway for energy security. 

Ultimately the decision was made to construct the facility to Northwestern Ontario, even with the support of the residents of South Bruce. The decision to reject South Bruce was finalized because they did not have the support of First Nations communities, Saugeen Ojibway Nation and Chippewas of the Nawash (Donnini, 2024). While this issue does not directly reflect civil disobedience, it does demonstrate that communities can bring positive change by standing their ground and denying projects that put their environments at risk.