Toxic spill raises questions about radioactive waste

By Matteo Cimellaro  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter OTTAWA For more than a month, while Algonquin First Nation members harvested plentiful pickerel, walleye and pike from the Ottawa River, they had no idea toxic sewage could also be flowing in the water. A month ago, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), the company that operates the Chalk River nuclear research facility, notified Kebaowek First Nation that there was an issue with toxic effluent, but they were assured it was being taken care of, said Chief Lance Haymond. At first, Haymond didn’t see it as a problem because Kebaowek has a sewage facility. “We didn’t even raise a red flag that what was going on was serious,” he told Canada’s National Observer. Then, CBC News called about its investigation that revealed the effluent had…

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