Provincial officials to visit Amherstburg to discuss nuclear emergency plans
AMHERSTBURG Ontario government officials will be in Amherstburg later this month to discuss whether its recently released nuclear safety master plan adequately addresses the town’s concerns in the event of a radioactive release at the Fermi II facility near Monroe, Mich.
Amherstburg ’s town centre sits roughly 16 kilometres away from the nuclear power plant across the border, and fire Chief Bruce Montone has expressed concerns — even travelling to Queen’s Park to meet with officials — that local residents are at risk.
Since Fermi is located in Michigan, Montone complained the town was being left out when it comes to supports the province provides other Ontario municipalities who sit close to nuclear power facilities.
Amherstburg has received no provincial government funds for staff training, no evacuation plans and no long-term commitment to distribute potassium iodide pills to residents that can prevent health effects in the event of a nuclear incident.
The provincial government in late December released its longawaited nuclear emergency response safety plan for Ontario.
Included was some recognition that Fermi must be among those where a provincial safety plan is activated should a nuclear incident occur at that American facility.
But there remained a lack of specifics on what Amherstburg might receive in terms of pre-planning, funding and supports for both preparation or in the event of a nuclear incident at Fermi.
Montone said he is hopeful the meeting later this month with officials from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services will provide clarity.
Fire and town officials in Amherstburg are still combing through the master plan to make sure nothing was missed in terms of safety concerns for residents, Montone said.
“The ministry will be here the last week of January, sit down with us, get feedback and go line-by-line (through the plan),” he said. “We are looking forward to hear what they have to say. We gave them a lot of feedback during consultation in drafting of the plan.
“I’m cautiously optimistic once the plan is put in motion there will be opportunities for us being treated the same as other municipalities. Regular funding — the same treatment that other municipalities receive — would be a good thing. But until that happens, I’ve heard a lot of this before.”