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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-12-02, Page 88 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Decision delayed on OPG DGR nuclear waste repository at Bruce site Debora Van Brenk London Free Press The federal environment minister has put off for three months the hot -button deci- sion about whether a nuclear waste vault can be built beneath the shores of Lake Huron near Kincardine. Activists lobbying against the site applauded the delay, to March 1, 2016. "I'm not surprised and I think it's a good thing to do," said David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initia- tive, a group of 119 mayors in Canada and the U.S. that had collectively opposed the plan. Ontario Power Generation is asking approval to bury dry waste from its nuclear power facilities into a limestone vault 680 metres underground, 1.6 kilometres from Lake Huron near Kincardine. After months of hearings and examining tens of thousands of pages of documents, a joint review panel recommended the federal environment minis- ter endorse the plan. A decision was originally to have been made before the federal election in Octo- ber, then was delayed until the beginning of December. Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna sent notice Friday she would take an additional three months to deliberate. Ullrich said it's not sur- prising that the new Liberal government would want to review in depth the "incredi- bly large and complex file." Ontario Power Generation spokesperson Neal Kelly, meanwhile, said, "we respect the minister's decision and we await a decision from her" Though the delay itself may not have been surpris- ing, its timing — late on a Friday afternoon, as many decision -makers in Ottawa were preparing for a climate - Deep Geologic Repository: Would take in waste from Ontario's three nuclear power plants. Would be located at the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant, near Kincardine. Would store 200,000 cubic metres (about the volume of a big -box store) of low- and intermediate -level waste from nuclear power plants. Low -level waste includes incinerated ash of work gloves and other mate- rial that may have come into contact with nuclear facilities; intermediate - level waste includes res- ins that were in contact with the reactor or its parts. Would be buried 680 metres below ground, as deep as the CN Tower is tall, in vir- tually impermeable lime- stone that hasn't moved in more than 45 million years. www,rlla'rlelinks.c. 9 daistel-800-165-343a SA UGEEAMOBILITY and REGION,41, TRANSIT SPECIALIZED PUBLIC TRANSIT MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED RESIDENTS NON -EMERGENCY MEDICAL, SOCIAL & EMPLOYMENT LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE 519-881-2504 1-866-91-2504 Please visit us at saugeenmobility.ca i F EHLUil File Photo Planned future home of the deep geologic repository for low and intermediate waste at the Bruce nuclear site north of Kincardine. change summit in France — was unexpected. Kelly said OPG has been working on the plan for a dec- ade and Kincardine has offered to be a willing host to the deep geologic repository (DGR). Meanwhile, others who have fought against the repos- itory were pleased to hear the decision is delayed. "We are hopeful that the minister will act to protect the Great Lakes and will ulti- mately say no to the OPG plan," said Beverly Fernan- dez, who has mobilized opposition to the deep geo- logic repository. She said she is pleased that the government is postponing a decision that will have an impact on the Great Lakes for the 100,000 years. Fernandez said 40 million people rely on Great Lakes water and any leak would be catastrophic. Almost 200 communities have signed resolutions in opposition to the plan. Ullrich said the only thing that would make the plan somewhat more acceptable to Great Lakes communities would be cancelling or mov- ing it. "I think that the farther it gets away from the shores of the Great Lakes, the likelier it would be to get support," as long as a new location were on a stable foundation, he said. What next: On March 1, 2016, the fed- eral environment minis- ter will say whether she will recommend to fed- eral cabinet whether or not construction of the repository will go ahead. Cabinet must then decide if it supports her rec- ommendation. The Saugeen Ojibway Nation has the poten- tial to veto the repository, even if the federal govern- ment agrees to the plan. Phoney bank investigator fraud claims $1,000 from victim A Goderich resident is out $1,000 after falling victim to a version of the "Phoney Bank Investigator" scam. On Nov. 18, 2015 the vic- tim received a call at home around 7:20 a.m. from a pur- ported investigator from one of the big banks. The scammer advised the victim he was working in the anti -fraud section and was investigating a possible case of identity theft. The fake bank employee stated his department was monitoring some transac- tions on the victim's account and noticed some suspicious transactions involving some out -of- province purchases and a transaction that was made in China for $1,100. The scammer convinced the victim to check his online accounts to verify the transactions. The victim followed suit and checked out his account. Upon looking at his account he noticed what he thought was a deposit into his savings account. The victim was then given a fake incident report num- ber and was instructed to immediately wire the "inad- vertent" excess deposit of $985 back to the phoney investigator. The investigator also advised the victim to contact his local bank branch to report the matter and have his account cancelled. In this case, the scammers gained the victim's trust and then tricked him into think- ing the deposit into his account was legitimate. In fact, what the scammer did was transfer money from the victim's line of credit into his savings account. At the time unfortunately this was undetected by the victim. Here are some tips to help protect you from fall- ing victim to this type of scam. . Remember that neither the bank nor a police investiga- tor will request you to assist in an undercover investiga- tion or ask you to withdraw money from your account. If you receive a suspicious call like this, hang up and call police. • Never give out personal bank information over the phone unless you are the one that called the bank and they ask questions to verify your identity. . Never transfer funds elec- tronically to people you don't personally know or don't trust. • Check your bank state- ments frequently and report any irregularities to your bank as soon as you notice them. For more information on fraud, call the Canadian Anti -Fraud Centre at 1-888- 495-8501 or www.antifraud centre.ca Ice Cream Trail winners celebrated by Huron -Kinloss Township The Township of Huron - Kinloss recently recognized Ice Cream Trail Grand Prize winner Bobbie Brown of Collingwood. Brown won $250 Huron - Kinloss Dollars to spend at participating local mer- chants in the township. The township also recog- nized the efforts of this year's special prize win- ners, including Dennis Kaufman's motorcycle group, who won a prize for being the largest group. Kaufman was able to organize a motorcycle ride across Huron -Kinloss with 23 fellow motorcyclists. The funniest photos were submitted by Edie and Harold Allaster and their grandchildren, Tom, Will, Ryan, and Allison Rands. The Most Creative prize went to Mariam Barnes, Dennis Kaufman enlisted 23 motorcyclists to take part in the Ice Cream Trail. Miriam Barnes earned the Most Creative prize. Funniest Photos were submitted by the Rands Family. Submitted The winners of the 2015 Huron - Kinloss Ice Cream Trail were recently announced.