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By Meghan Morelli
GRAND TRAVERSE CO. — Grand Traverse County commissioners are discussing a resolution that’s making its way around the state to stop a Canadian power company from potentially causing harm to the Great Lakes.
The resolution started with commissioners in Alger, Munising in the Upper Peninsula. The purpose of the resolution is to stop the company from building an underground nuclear waste facility in Ontario.
The potential facility would be built on the site of the Bruce Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in the world. That site sits less than one mile from the Lake Huron shoreline.
The company would like to store low and intermediate level waste there, but those against it say it could drastically impact the Great Lakes that make up 21 percent of the world’s fresh water supply.
For Love of Water, FLOW, a Great Lakes water law and policy center says they’re behind the resolution to stop the company from doing this.
FLOW Executive Director, Liz Kirkwood, says it could have serious negative impacts on our drinking water and the ecosystem in the Great Lakes.
“It could contaminate this water supply that is the basis for our entire economy, fisheries, recreation, and drinking water,” said Kirkwood.
Kirkwood says there has never been a nuclear waste site like this on U.S. territory.
According to FLOW, the Michigan Senate unanimously passed a bill in resolution against this proposal earlier this month. Senator Debbie Stabenow is also behind the resolution.
Grand Traverse County Administrator, Dave Benda, says he doesn’t expect that any action will be taken on the issue during Wednesday’s commission meeting.
