Crosbie Industrial Services have submitted a proposal asking to “temporarily store” radioactive materials in St. John’s. NDP Environment and Conservation critic George Murphy is urging government to deny the application, which can be read online (by clicking here).

The radioactive material is a byproduct of Crosbie Industrial’s offshore oil and gas development. Andthey want to store the stuff at their Logy Bay Road facility for up to a year.

“Don’t be fooled,” said Murphy. “This material may be naturally occurring, but there is nothing natural about it being above-ground.”

He says “an accident could be catastrophic for the families living in the surrounding neighbourhood. There can never be enough oversight for a 100 per cent guarantee of safety.”

Murphy says there is no need to store the waste here, as the technology to treat and dispose of it exists. He says a similar plan was proposed for Donovan’s Industrial Park in 2013 — but was quashed.”We should not be storing this waste in the province, let alone in a residential area.”

The worst part is Crosbie’s calling this “naturally occurring.” Naturally occurring does not mean it’s okay or safe. Other things that are naturally occurring include snake venom, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions.