In early July, we proudly joined with the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick (CRED-NB), the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and 14 other health and environmental organizations from across the Canada — including the Peskotomuhkati Nation and the Wolastoq Grand Council — in submitting a formal letter to Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, requesting he exercise his authority to designate the proposed Small Modular Reactor (SMR) demonstration project at Point Lepreau for a federal environmental impact assessment.

Our formal letter, submitted in collaboration with CRED-NB, was written in response to the short-sighted change to national environmental laws in 2019, spurred in large part by the vigorous lobbying of the nuclear industry. Because of these changes to Canada’s environmental laws, many nuclear projects, such as the untested SMR proposed for New Brunswick, no longer require the oversight and national scrutiny provided by a full federal environmental impact assessment. This can’t stand.

As stated in CRED-NB’s July letter, it is our firm belief that SMRs are still experimental, that they have the potential for significant and long-lasting effects on coastal communities and marine life in the Bay of Fundy, and need to fully engage Indigenous communities before they can be approved. A provincial environmental impact assessment alone is not sufficient for a project of this size and complexity.

There are also problems with the narrative touted by proponents of the project, as highlighted in our letter. Moltex Energy, for instance, claims there is an industrially-proven method to convert used fuel into molten metal alloys; however, this has not been proven. Additionally, there are concerns about the safety of the environment and the cost of treating radioactive waste generated by SMRs that need further scrutiny before approval can be given.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada confirmed in October that our request is now under consideration, with a final decision from Minister Guilbeault expected by January 2, 2023.

With time running out before a decision is reached, the Ontario Clean Air Alliance is calling on forward-thinking Canadians to join our call for a federal impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed SMR at Point Lepreau in New Brunswick.

You can help amplify this call. Take advantage of this simple and efficient letter-writing tool to show the federal government that you expect the proper oversight for the experimental SMR proposed for the Bay of Fundy and all SMR projects that may be considered in the future.

The health and safety of our coastal marine life and the communities that depend on the Bay of Fundy are too important to cut corners!