Editor’s note: The following is an open letter to South Bruce residents from Mayor Mark Goetz.
Dear resident,
As you know, the Municipality of South Bruce is one of the final two communities that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is considering to securely store Canada’s used nuclear fuel. The NWMO says it is committed to building its deep geological repository (DGR) in an informed and willing host community.
Before South Bruce can determine our willingness to host the facility, we need to know that the Project is safe and will deliver meaningful benefits to South Bruce. The municipality also wants to ensure we have a voice in the project and its operations. These expectations are summed up in our 36 Guiding Principles.
To that end, the municipality has been working with both the NWMO and independent consultants to study the potential effects of the project, and to share this information with you. The study findings will help us all make an informed decision about whether the project is a good fit for our community.
From May 2022 to November 2022, 24 social and economic studies were completed either by the NWMO or municipal consultants. All of these studies were independently peer reviewed by the municipality’s consultants. Findings were shared with the public at Community Liaison Committee (CLC) meetings and through mailings to all households.
GHD, the consultants retained by South Bruce to oversee and review all study work, have now written an independent summary of all the social and economic studies. This document has been mailed to residents and ratepayers and will also be posted on our website for easy review.
So, what now?
The studies have highlighted potential benefits and risks of the project. They have identified how South Bruce could benefit in terms of long-term economic growth, and areas where the NWMO would need to support the South Bruce community – such as developing a skilled workforce, funding infrastructure, or managing housing needs.
Based on the community’s guiding principles and insights from studies so far, the municipality is negotiating a hosting agreement with the NWMO. The hosting agreement will lay out the NWMO’s commitments and obligations. The community will know what to expect if it is willing to host the project and the community benefits the NWMO would support.
If the community is willing to be a host community and is selected to go to the next step of the process, the NWMO would be obligated to deliver the community benefits in the hosting agreement. However, if the community is not willing to be a host or is not selected to go to the next step of the process, the hosting agreement will conclude, and the site selection process will wind down in South Bruce.
Thank you for your continued interest in this important project. As residents and ratepayers, we all want what is best for our community for generations to come – in terms of health, safety, and economic opportunity. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the municipality.
Sincerely,
Mark Goetz
Mayor of South Bruce
