Opposition to DGR

To whom it may concern,

I have been a resident of North Western Ontario since 1976 and have experienced the nuclear industry's tactics over the last 4 decades in their quest to find a place to dump their toxic waste.  In the 1980s 2 mines closed here in Atikokan with the loss of 1200 good paying jobs, a major blow to the community which is 130 kilometers south and east of the present day Revel Lake proposed DGR site.  At that time in the 1980s there was no Nuclear Waste management Organization(NWMO) .  Atomic Energy of Canada(AECL) was the organization who came to Atikokan to try convince us they could bury their toxic radio active waste forever safely and provide good  paying jobs for decades in to the future . Fortunately the community was given access to funding to provide a balanced debate of the subject both pro and con on the matter.  After a public forum and debate the community rejected the proposed DGR by over 80% of the population poled on the matter.  That was the end of the story and AECL left town.  

Fast foreward to today and what has changed ?  The nuclear industry realized they had failed in the past to convince a community in the north to become Canada's nuclear waste dump so they formed what they call "an independent body" to try again in finding a community to accept their toxic waste. This so called independent body the Nuclear Waste management Organization(NWMO)  has had a budget of hundreds of millions of tax payers dollars and rate payers dollars to work with.  They have gone to several communities doling out our public money trying to coerce a communty to say yes we will take your toxic waste.  Ignace Ontario has said yes to this proposed DRR while Wabigoon Lake 1st Nations has not committed to it but is still studying the issue.  What do both of these communities have in common ?  Money,  public money  has been doled out to both communities and they still are on the pay out list.  

What was the difference between Atikokan in the 1980s versus Ignace/Wabigoon 1st Nations today ?  Money and lots of it !  There was no coersion money in the 1980s.

Is the NWMO's tactic of paying millions of dollars to these communities they call wellness money an "informed education" of the proposed DGR or in fact is it bribery in it's simplest form ? I would tell you and I think most other would tell you this is the most corrupt process carried out with public funding in the history of our country.  It is not only corrupt it is immoral.   The vast majority of people who live in NW Ontario and may be effected detrimentally by this proposed project have been left out of the process while less than 1000 people have consented to it along with the millions of dollars they have received.  

There needs to be more accountability on the actions and spending of NWMO with the public money they throw around like it grows on trees.  To date the majority our politcal people in office have ignored the issue .   It is a shameful, corrupt  and an immoral process and needs to stop.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.   James Kimberley / Atikokan Ontario