Madam Speaker, last week in the House I had the opportunity to ask the Minister of Natural Resources to comment on the proposal by Atomic Energy Canada and Ontario Hydro to import plutonium from the United States.
That question was generated by several concerns that have been brought to me as the member of Parliament for London-Middlesex from the city council of London, Ontario, the county council of Middlesex County and other people in the area of southwestern Ontario who could be affected.
There are several concerns that I would like to speak to briefly. The first and most important in my mind is the issue of public participation. The councils that I just mentioned and the private citizens who have contacted me are very concerned that there would be full public opportunity for input.
Indeed the minister did assure me that would take place and I was very pleased with that answer. However, I am looking for a little more of a guarantee that there will be a full environmental assessment held before such a proposal would be approved and that throughout the province of Ontario there would be several opportunities for public input.
The second concern is the issue of public health and protection of the environment. I think the question that needs to be asked after considerable analysis is whether we should even allow the importation of plutonium to Canada from foreign nations. There is consideration of importation from the United States and apparently from Russia as well.
Third is the question of security and cost if such a proposal were to go forward. In all probability there would be importation through the city of Sarnia and transportation of such fuels to the Bruce nuclear plant some two to three hours drive, depending on the time of year and road conditions, along a very busy highway 21, which is certainly not a major roadway. It is at times a dangerous and very busy highway. There is the question of security in the transportation of these fuels.
Then there is the question of the need to enhance security at the plant itself, given the nature of the materials that would be stored at the Bruce nuclear power plant.
Finally, there is the whole matter of radioactive waste which would be generated by the use of plutonium fuel. This obviously would become the problem of Ontario Hydro. That would then lead to the dangerous precedent being set that perhaps we would allow the importation of other radioactive wastes into Canada.
That leads me to the issue of how one deals with such radioactive waste. There is a proposal being studied now that such wastes should be buried somewhere in the Canadian shield. There is a full environment assessment underway right now about that idea, but it all very uncertain.
In conclusion, I would simply say that there are a number of very serious concerns which have been brought to my attention and to other colleagues in the House from southwestern Ontario in particular.
While I appreciated the assurances the minister was able to give me last week on public participation, I am anxious to hear these other concerns addressed because my constituents are anxious as well to hear from the minister.