The local government of South Bruce, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday voted to let its citizens decide this fall whether they want to host a deep geologic repository for nuclear waste.
The seven-member South Bruce council voted in support of the question, which now is eligible to appear on ballots during a by-election to be held on Oct. 28, a council staffer wrote Wednesday in an email. It was not a recorded vote.
The question that will appear on the ballot is: “Are you in favour of the Municipality of South Bruce declaring South Bruce to be a willing host for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR)?”
Under Canadian law, any member of the public may still challenge the wording of the ballot question, which effectively challenges the question’s legality.
South Bruce, near the shores of Lake Huron, about 110 miles from Toronto, is currently one of two candidate sites in the Ontario province to host a deep geologic repository for intermediate-level and non-fuel, high-level radioactive waste.
The other candidate site is Ignace, which is roughly 135 miles as the crow flies from the northwestern shore of Lake Superior.