James introduces resolution opposing nuclear waste site
Rep. also votes for bill for more school transparency
Congressman John James has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation opposing Canada’s effort to build a permanent nuclear waste storage site in the Great Lakes basin.
Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) seeks to store over 50,000 tons of high-level, radioactive nuclear waste Ontario in the Great Lakes basin. Highlevel nuclear waste is the most dangerous form of nuclear waste and remains hazardous for tens of thousands of years.
“Our water resources are an essential part of our identity as Michiganders,” James said last week in a news release. “They’re a pillar of our economy, recreation industry, and national defense. It’s vital that we be good stewards of our waterways — including protecting them from potentially devastating disasters that can’t be undone.”
The NWMO is expected to decide next year on one of two potential sites for a nuclear-waste facility in Ignace or South Bruce, which are in the Great Lakes basin and less than 40 miles from Lake Huron. Officials say an accident involving radioactive waste near the Great Lakes would have devastating and long-term consequences for the health of Michigan and all other people who depend on the Great Lakes for their livelihood.
The resolution says President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken should ensure the government of Canada does not permanently store nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin.
The resolution was passed shortly before Biden’s first trip to Canada as president to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In addition to James, the bipartisan effort was led by U.S. Reps. Dan Kildee, DFlint Township, and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, DLansing, in the Senate. Other House co-sponsors including Reps. Lisa McClain of Bruce Township, Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, John Moolenaar of Caledonia, Bill Huizenga of Holland, Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor, Elissa Slotkin of Lansing, Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids, Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Shri Thanedar of Detroit as well as five Senate co-sponsors, including Sen. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township.
James represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, which borders Lake St. Clair and serves Macomb County south of Hall Road, part of north Macomb and part of Oakland County. He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is vice chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment.
In an unrelated matter, James said last week he also voted in support the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which would require additional transparency requirements for public school districts while expanding parent-child privacy protections. The legislation follows through on one pillar of “Commitment to America,” a plan released last September by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California for a “new direction” to get the United States “back on track.”
James said education is a basic civil right and the relationship between a parent and their child is sacred.
“There should be no secrets between students and teachers, no hiding curriculum from public review,” James said in a release. “Parents have every right to know what they’re learning in the classroom. The Parents Bill of Rights simply encourages an effective partnership between parents and educators to work together at the local level. It is my hope that with the fundamentals ironed out, we can move forward with equipping our schools, supporting educators, and preparing our students with the marketable skills to succeed and critically think.”
James, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said he led two amendments that were included in the final bill passed by the House. One protects parents’ right to review their child’s curriculum without having to sign a nondisclosure agreement. This amendment also applies to library and online resources. The second tweak affirms a parent’s right to be made aware of any issues at school that concern a child’s mental and physical health and safety.
The House of Representatives passed the bill 213 to 208.