The Flin Flon region is out of the running to store nuclear waste, but its participation in a proposal to do so has garnered it another big payout.
Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) will present Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach with $250,000 apiece in recognition of their past involvement in the project.
“We were really surprised,” said Flin Flon Mayor Cal Huntley, who learned of the news Wednesday morning. “I think it’s a wonderful initiative to acknowledge the engaged communities and it couldn’t have happened in a more timely fashion. There’s lots of projects going on and the dollars will certainly be put to very, very good use.”
In order to receive the funds, Flin Flon city council must first establish what NWMO calls a Community Well-Being Reserve Fund or a similar mechanism to administer the funding to community projects.
Across the border, Creighton town council already has such a fund, having established it with a previous $400,000 payment from NWMO. The new funds bring the total for Creighton to $650,000.
“That’s tremendous news for us,” said Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler during the announcement to council at their meeting Wednesday. “I express my thanks and appreciation to the [NWMO].”
Jamie Matear, a senior advisor with NWMO, expressed his gratitude to the community of Creighton for its interest in the project as well as council themselves.
“I can speak on behalf of some of my colleagues who have been fortunate enough to come up here and meet all of you,” he said. “We had a fantastic time. I’m a little disappointed I’m not going to be able to come up and see you on a regular basis. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for everything you have done and all the support for the project.”
Denare Beach also gets $250,000 for a Community Well-Being Reserve Fund of its own.
NWMO said Community Well-Being Reserve Funds could be used for a range of initiatives. Among them: programs and supports for youth and elders, community planning, community sustainability projects, economic development initiatives and energy efficiency programs.
In a news release, NWMO said both Flin Flon and Denare Beach “actively participated” in the preliminary assessment phase of the project, which focused on a potential nuclear waste storage site near Creighton.
NWMO will also give $250,000 to each of two communities near Schreiber, an Ontario community that was removed from consideration for nuclear waste storage in early March, the same time as Creighton.
“We are pleased to provide this investment in the well-being of these communities as they conclude their involvement in the site selection process,” Kathryn Shaver, a site selection official with NWMO, said in a news release.
“The communities we are recognizing today helped advance our understanding of the geology in their area and its potential to safely and securely contain and isolate Canada’s used nuclear fuel. By coming together to help advance Canada’s plan, they have shown the way for collaboration, inclusiveness and decision making.”
NWMO continues to study nine Ontario communities still interested in learning about the potential of nuclear waste storage, specifically the used nuclear fuel rods from Canada’s nuclear power plants.
Creighton was crossed off the list because of geology that was not compatible with the project, which will see the rods stored in an underground repository.
– With files from Kelly Oswald
