The petition raises concerns about radioactive waste contamination in Port Hope, Ontario. The petition claims that, for decades, people in Port Hope have been living with radioactive contamination from 2 federally licensed nuclear industry operations located in the community. The petition outlines 3 sites within the community and claims that they are proven to contain radiation levels above those outlined by Health Canada as being safe for human exposure. The petition asks whether the federal government will commit to comprehensive investigations of these sites. The petition also questions how the effective dose limit of radiation in the Radiation Protection Regulations is calculated for members of the public who may have been exposed to radioactive waste.
The petition claims that the Government of Canada’s current non-disclosure policy is harmful to Canadians and that, as a result, residents of Port Hope have been exposed to unsafe levels of radiation without their knowledge. The petition asks what the current rules and guidelines are concerning disclosing information related to radioactive contamination and what commitments the federal government will make to ensure that information regarding the location, volume, and type of radioactive contamination is proactively disclosed to members of the public. Furthermore, the petition questions whether the government will commit to disclosing information to members of the public affected by sites contaminated with radioactive materials.
The petition claims that the Access to Information Act is a fundamentally deficient approach for members of the public to use to receive information regarding radiation levels and asks whether there are any files relating to contamination of public or private lands that are considered exempt from the act. The petition argues that it is crucial for the federal government to change its long-standing practice and disclose information about radioactive contamination to affected members of the public.