Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, is calling on the federal government to clear nuclear waste found on the properties of Elliot Lake residents.
“Constituents from Elliot Lake are demanding action from Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to clean up radioactive waste found at their homes in Elliot Lake,” said Hughes Thursday in the House of Commons. "This waste from closed uranium mines was widely used as fill for construction in the 1960s.
“Without knowing, these families have been exposed to radiation above allowable limits, caused by mine wastes buried in their yards and driveways.”
A front-page story in Thursday's edition of the Toronto Star paints a grim picture of the reality of some Elliot Lake residents’ properties, with up to 60 properties receiving annual doses of radiation between eight and 32 times greater than the maximum prescribed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, said a news release.
Natural Resources Canada has previously informed residents that the cleanup of nuclear fill “is the responsibility of the homeowners.”
“There is a duty to ensure that all radioactive wastes in Canada is managed, isolated from the public, and safely stored for generations to come,” said Hughes.
“It is imperative that this decades-long issue be permanently fixed. It should never be a family’s responsibility to deal with radioactive waste, nor bear the burden of the health risks caused by the uranium mining industry.”