It’s unlikely a U.S. town has any direct power over a siting decision in Canada, but a small Michigan town made its views known anyway, because it would be affected. Local governments affected by the Sabal Trail methane pipeline could do the same.

Lori Maranville wrote for the Milan News-Leader 22 February 2014, MILAN: Council approves resolution opposing nuclear waste site in Canada,

In October, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry showing their concern for the proposed nuclear waste site.

“The placement of this nuclear waste storage facility is of great concern given its location near Lake Huron and the importance of the Great Lakes to tens of millions of U.S. and Canadian citizens for drinking water, fisheries, tourism, recreation, and other industrial and economic uses,” they wrote in the letter.

In passing a resolution opposing the site, Milan elected officials brought the issue to light for the city’s residents.

Councilman Douglas Gilson said he was in favor of the resolution and thanked Moyer for bringing the issue before Council.

“You’re talking about our children’s future and our grandchildren’s and their children’s future when you’re putting this stuff right next to a Great Lake,” Gilson said of the planned facility.

Don’t we have the same concern about an unnecessary methane pipeline right here? The even smaller town of South Buffalo, Michigan just voted against siting a compressor station and Chamblee, Georgia voted to oppose a methane pipeline. Other local governments could do the same.

-jsq

Short Link: