Opponents of the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) will take their protest to the streets of Ottawa today.
A group known as “Stop Nuclear Waste” will hold a “Rally of Allies” on Sparks Street from 12-2 pm.
The rally will be held outside the Thomas D’Arcy McGee Building, where the Federal Court of Appeal will be hearing the first of two cases around the NSDF this fall.
On Wednesday, the court will hear an appeal by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories against a previous decision by Federal Court Justice Julie Blackhawk.
Last February, Justice Blackhawk ordered CNL and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to resume consultations on the NSDF with the Kebaowek First Nation.
Blackhawk ruled that the consultations must take place under the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and its standard of “free, prior and informed consent” (FPIC).
The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation (AOPFN), the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) have all been allowed to join the appeal as interveners.
In November, the Federal Court of Appeal will hear a second case on the NSDF involving CNL and Kebaowek.
That appeal involves a decision by Federal Court Justice Russel Zinn that the company failed to consider “all reasonable alternatives” in siting the NSDF, including locations outside of the Chalk River labs.
In doing so, Justice Zinn said, it failed to prove that the NSDF is the “best solution” to protect bats and turtles protected under the Species At Risk Act (SARA).
As a result, Zinn overturned a decision by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue a permit for the NSDF project, and sent the issue back for reconsideration.
Stop Nuclear Waste says that rather than comply with both court rulings, CNL has chosen to appeal the decisions, “showing disregard for reconciliation and the rule of law.”
“This fight is bigger than one Nation. The Ottawa River is a shared lifeline for Quebec, Ontario, and beyond,” the group says…
- For the full story, pick up a copy of this week’s NRT.
The NRT website offers just a sample of what you’ll find inside each week’s issue. To get the full NRT delivered directly to your mail box or inbox each week, subscribe to our print or digital editions here.
