How the Problem Began 

In Port Hope Ontario, from 1933 to 1988 the Eldorado Nuclear LTD. refined Uranium and extracted Radium which was in high demand at the time due to it showing results in the fight against cancer. The factory created lots of nuclear waste, but never did anything about storing it away. Years later the Factory had closed but the radioactive waste that remained was still uncontained in the form of rocks, metal, rags, clothing and tools. This waste slowly dispersed through Port Hope. 

What Is the Problem?

The waste created by the factory is still radioactive and has found its way into peoples homes and public areas in which people visit. This is where the problem is, because due to the levels of radiation being emitted by the waste, people can get sick easier and the risk of cancer can go up in children and elderly people. The radiation also has a negative effect on the growth of crops and wild plants in the region. This is bad for the environment and the farming industry in Port Hope.

What Is Being Done to Help the Problem  

Currently the plan of action to clean up the nuclear waste in Port Hope will cost Canada $1.3 B. This will be done by five different organisations which will each clean certain areas of Port Hope. The clean-up is good progress for the town as there has been many other failed attempts to clean the town from radiation. Despite this, Canada and its people should not have to suffer because of the laziness of businesses. We need to start thinking about what we can do to stop this from happening again. 

What is Stopping This From Happening in the Future?

Surprisingly not much is happening in the government to stop companies from creating nuclear waste and leaving it for somebody else to pick it up other than a few laws and safety checks. We need to change this by having stricter laws on nuclear waste, including mandatory access to a proper nuclear waste storage facility before any radioactive waste has been produced. This will vastly increase the amount of properly disposed-of waste and reduce incidents like the Port Hope case from ever happening again. 

Sign the petition above to show The Government of Ontario the we care about properly disposing of nuclear waste!