HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-02-28, Page 30PAGE 30. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013.Central Huron moves to NWMO’s next stage
Trial proves Wingham
man guilty of mischief
OFA comments on speech
The Municipality of Central
Huron is joining the ranks of Ontario
municipalities earning the okay to
move forward in a multi-pronged
process that will eventually see a
Deep Geological Repository for
spent nuclear fuel developed in a
single site for Canada’s nuclear
plants.
Nuclear Waste Management
Organization (NWMO)
representatives braved wintry
weather Feb. 19 to appear before
council in a special session held at
the Central Huron Community
Complex, designed to outline results
from the initial screening stage the
municipality entered into after
expressing interest in the Adaptive
Phase Management program.
The presentation, which drew
about a dozen ratepayers,
highlighted that Central Huron
passed through a multi-pronged
process that clears it to enter the
second stage, which will include an
approximate two-year-long
feasibility study. Ultimately, the
NWMO will choose one or two sites
for the final stage of investigation,
requiring an intensive five year-long
study that is estimated to cost $200
million.
Bob Leech, a spokesman for the
Markham-based consultant Aecom,
the company subcontracted to tackle
the feasibility study, says the key
question was: “Are there any show
stoppers from a geoscience point of
view?” The short answer is no.
Leech says an investigation into
Central Huron’s “layer cake” of
geology shows there is both
sufficient land and the type of rock
necessary to create the mine-like
storage facility. The rocks that are
being targeted, notes Leech, are 450
million years old.
Other considerations included
assessing whether a location could
be found independent of protected or
settled areas, whether groundwater
is present at repository depth, andwhether there are known natural
resources that could later be sought
out.
The latter question proved to
provide one new piece of
information to council as Leech
reports there are salt deposits under a
stretch of Central Huron, the extent
of which would require further
investigation.
“There is the potential for
resources in salt in the future,” says
Leech, noting there are no “unsafe
geological or hydrogeological
conditions” present in Central
Huron, meaning, overall, it is a good
candidate.
“Basically, we will be creating a
mine and you don’t want the mine
falling down,” says Leech in
reference to a review of the stability
of the region, which shows the
nearest fault line is about 30
kilometres away.
During a question period open to
council, Councillor Alison Lobb
learned the class of agricultural land
was not considered during the
research.
Councillor Brian Barnim, who
originally pitched the idea of Central
Huron becoming a potential host
site, questioned the role of what is
known as “gas fracking,” which
Leech reports was considered, but
dismissed since “these rocks are
buried fairly shallow ” and lack the
requisite maturity for such a project.
Meanwhile, Councillor Alex
Westerhout’s question as to whether
the mine would be built in bedrock
was met by the assertion it would be
located at a depth of between 500 to
700 metres.
Mayor Jim Ginn questioned
whether the salt’s presence would
nix the possibility of a repository,
but was told the salt deposits are
high up and would not necessarily
hurt Central Huron’s candidacy.
Mike Krizanc, a communications
spokesman for the NWMO, reported
that the next step is in the
municipality’s court and that the
community will have to demonstrateits willingness and support for the
project before it becomes a reality.
“It is very important that
community members be engaged
with this,” said Krizanc. “At the end
of the day, it’s the community itself
that makes this decision.”Krizanc added that there is no
specific timetable in place as to
when council is expected to report
back to the NWMO.
“The ball is in your court,” he said.
While members of the public were
not permitted to ask questions,ratepayers will have the chance to
participate in NWMO-organized
open houses on March 26 and 27.
Council is anticipated to decide
whether to move forward with the
process after those sessions.
In Wingham court on Feb. 21
Andrew Brunton was found guilty
of mischief under $5,000 in
connection with an incident that
took place in Morris-Turnberry, just
outside of Wingham, on Aug. 25,
2012.
Brunton, of Wingham,
represented himself as the incident
went to a trial in which he
maintained his innocence.
Judge R.G.E. Hunter ordered
Brunton to pay a $500 fine, as well
as restitution for the damage he
caused in the amount of $778.
Hunter also placed Brunton on an
18-month term of probation.
Several witnesses testified over
the course of the trial, the first of
which was Kevin Anson, who was
celebrating his wedding on the day
of the incident.
Anson stated that after his
wedding ceremony, he, his wife and
members of their wedding party
travelled to the “old dam” in the
Lowertown portion of Wingham to
take some wedding pictures.
The couple travelled to the area in a
silver Cadillac, Anson said,
which one of his groomsmen,
who had made the trip from Alberta,
had rented from Budget Rent-a-
Continued from page 22
government to further address these
issues.
But mentions relating to
agriculture – the province’s largest
sector – stopped there. Ontario’s
agri-food sector contributes $33
billion to the province’s economy
and represents 10 per cent of the
provincial workforce already, with
700,000 jobs. If fiscal responsibility,
economic growth and more jobs are
what Ontario’s new government is
after, then the OFA is up to the job
of demonstrating how small
investments in our sector can yield
high returns.
On behalf of Ontario agriculture,
the OFA will also be addressing the
need for a provincial agriculture and
food strategy, reliable and affordable
energy access and revisions to the
regulatory environment in this
session. The OFA looks forward to
working with its new premier, and
her colleagues of all political
parties, as we lead up to the 2013
budget planning process. We are
pleased by the forward momentum
gained with the start of the
legislative session, and we will use it
to work on behalf of Ontario’s
farmers to enable prosperous and
sustainable farms.Blyth ~ 519-523-4792 • Brussels ~ 519-887-9114
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Bustin’ a move
Clinton’s Dance Techniques was at Blyth Memorial Hall on Saturday afternoon to present its
showcase to the community. One of the the main attractions of the showcase was a hip hop
performance by several members of the group. Dance Techniques had also recently been
recruited as the entertainment for the annual Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund’s annual
Valentine’s Day Gala, which was held earlier this month in Exeter. (Jim Brown photo)
By Cheryl Heath
Special to The Citizen
Continued on page 31