- Residents of Port Hope are rallying against the proposed nuclear power plant, citing the town's radioactive legacy and ongoing cleanup efforts.
- Port Hope has a long history of radioactive contamination, with the Eldorado mining company opening a radium refinery in the 1930s and later refining uranium for the U.S. military during the Manhattan Project.
- Over decades, the plant dumped contaminated soil, rocks, and building materials across Port Hope, which were used in construction.
- Cleanup efforts are ongoing, with a $2.6 billion remediation plan currently underway, which is considered the largest environmental cleanup in Canada.
- Faye More has sent a petition to Canada's auditor general seeking protection under the upcoming National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice.
- In the 1940s, the Port Hope plant began refining uranium for the U.S. military, contributing to the Manhattan Project.
- In 2001, the federal government signed an agreement with Port Hope and Clarington to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste.
- Citizens for Responsible Nuclear Waste Disposal successfully lobbied for environmental cleanup in the 1980s, highlighting community concerns.
Port Hope residents are resisting a proposed nuclear power plant, citing a painful legacy of radioactive contamination from past nuclear operations. Faye More, a local resident, expressed her outrage, stating, "the people here have been exploited and they have borne the price of this and we say no more."6
The community's history with the nuclear industry dates back to the 1930s when the Eldorado mining company opened a radium refinery, later refining uranium for the U.S. military during World War II. Over decades, the plant dumped contaminated materials across Port Hope, affecting homes, parks, and schools. In 2001, the federal government committed to a $2.6 billion cleanup plan to manage the low-level radioactive waste that has plagued the area. Bill Daly, director of communications for the Port Hope Area Initiative, noted that about 1,200 of 5,000 tested sites showed contamination, with ongoing remediation expected to conclude by 2032.48
Despite the cleanup, the Ontario government announced plans for a new nuclear facility, which could become the world's largest, generating up to 10,000 megawatts of power and supporting over 10,500 jobs. Local officials, including Mayor Olena Hankivsky, argue that the new plant and the cleanup are separate initiatives, but residents feel "invisible" in the decision-making process. More has even petitioned for protection under the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice, highlighting the community's ongoing struggles with nuclear legacy.
As the province pushes forward, residents remain steadfast in their opposition, demanding transparency and respect for their community's history.
“The $2.6-billion cleanup, the largest in Canada, has tested 5,000 sites and found 1,200 contaminated, with 400 private properties remediated. Faye More, 75, sent a petition to the auditor general seeking protection under the upcoming environmental racism strategy.”
