Congressman Dan Kildee Introduces Bipartisan Amendment to Protect Great Lakes from Threat of Canadian Nuclear Waste

Amendment Would Express Congress' Disapproval of Canada's Proposed Plan to Build a Permanent Nuclear Waste Storage Site on Shores of Great Lakes

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) introduced a bipartisan amendment today to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of Canada's proposed permanent nuclear waste storage site. If the Canadian facility is built, it would permanently store up to 52 million gallons of radioactive material less than a mile from Lake Huron.

Congressman Kildee's amendment would assert the position of the U.S. House of Representatives that the President and Secretary of State should work together to make sure that the Canadian government does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin. Congressman Kildee's amendment has strong bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats in the Michigan congressional delegation, as well as Members of Congress from the Great Lakes Region.

"The Great Lakes are a precious natural resource that supports our economy and way of life. Permanently storing nuclear waste on the shores of the Great Lakes is too much of a dangerous and unnecessary risk," Congressman Kildee said. "This bipartisan amendment continues our efforts in Congress to find an alternative location for this nuclear waste storage site so it does not endanger the Great Lakes or Michigan's livelihood."

The Great Lakes represent more than one-fifth of the world's supply of freshwater, from which more than 40 million people receive their drinking water. Every year, the Great Lakes propel the U.S. and Canadian economies, generating $62 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 1.5 million good-paying jobs in the tourism, boating and fishing industries, and serving as a vital artery for international trade.

Today's amendment is part of Congressman Kildee's continued efforts to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of Canadian nuclear waste. Starting in his first term, in October 2013, Congressman Kildee wrote a letter to the Canadian Joint Review Panel, responsible for permitting this project, to express serious concern about the proposed Canadian facility's proximity to Lake Huron. In July 2014, Congressman Kildee wrote a letter to then Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird to share his concerns about the proposal and highlight Canada's objection to a similar nuclear waste storage site, previously proposed by the U.S., because it was too close to the Great Lakes Basin.

In April 2015, Congressman Kildee introduced a resolution similar to the amendment he introduced today with bipartisan support. Congressman Kildee introduced the resolution again in the 115th Congress in March 2017.

To date, 230 municipalities – in both the U.S. and Canada – have passed resolutions opposing the plan, including Flint, Mich., Bay County, Mich.; Toronto, Ont.; Chicago, Ill.; Wayne County, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Essex County, Ont.; and Rochester County, N.Y. The Michigan State Senate also has passed a resolution opposing the Canadian nuclear waste storage site.

The Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, has requested additional information on the environmental impact of the proposed nuclear waste facility. There is currently no timetable for when a final decision will be made on moving forward with the project.