Karen Weaver was mayor of Flint, Michigan during the height of the city’s water crisis, which was caused when state officials failed to safeguard the drinking water. Mitch Twolan is mayor of Huron-Kinloss in Ontario. He thinks officials can maintain safety at a proposed nuclear storage facility on the shores of Lake Huron. The two mayors meet for a frank exchange of views in this episode, which originally aired on the Canadian network TVO as part of the “Political Blind Date” series.
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Premieres on DPTV
Wednesday, October 27, at 7:30 PM
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Former Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, Huron-Kinloss Township Mayor Mitch Twolan, and Ontario Power Generation Senior Manager Fred Kuntz tour the storage facilities at Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, a nuclear power plant in Kincardine, Ontario. (Photo Credit: Open Door Co./Nomad Films Inc.)
A Political Blind Date
FULL EPISODE | Flint, Michigan; Huron-Kinloss, Ontario; Walkerton, Ontario
Karen Weaver was mayor of Flint, Michigan during the height of the city’s water crisis, which was caused when state officials failed to safeguard the drinking water.
When authorities say, “Don’t worry,” she worries.
Mitch Twolan is mayor of Huron-Kinloss in Ontario. He thinks officials can maintain safety at a proposed nuclear storage facility on the shores of Lake Huron.
The two mayors meet for a frank exchange of views in this episode, which originally aired on the Canadian network TVO as part of the “Political Blind Date” series.
“This is a learning exercise about doing something with an issue that we have right now, and that’s nuclear waste,” says Twolan. “It’s being stored above ground. Is that the most realistic way of handling the waste for now, and in the foreseeable future? I don’t think it is.”
Here is other Great Lakes Now work on politics and the Great Lakes:
Biden appoints Debra Shore to lead EPA Midwestern office
Q&A: Doctor who exposed Flint’s lead levels sees similarities in Benton Harbor water crisis
Hoping to avoid Enbridge Line 5 shutdown, Canada asks U.S. to negotiate
Here is other Great Lakes Now work on the Flint water crisis:
Seven Years On: The Flint water crisis has yet to conclude
How much should lawyers make in the Flint water crisis settlement?
‘Some crumbs’: Critics urge rejection of $641M Flint deal
Here is other Great Lakes Now work on nuclear energy:
Nuclear Question: Debate continues over long-term storage of nuclear waste in the Great Lakes
Animal Check: New project to monitor aquatic species that live near proposed nuclear storage sites
2 nuke plants, 1 bribery scandal, no answers: Towns on edge
Unexploded Ordnance: Lake Erie shoreline site of long-term munitions study
Videos from Episode 1030
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Killer Trees and Sacred Waters
How trees are fighting back against the emerald ash borer and restoring a sacred lake.
Too Many Geese and Not Enough Mussels
Managing Canada geese, saving freshwater mussels, and an Ojibwe lens on the fur trade.
Oil Spills and Buried Rivers
Preparing for a Great Lakes oil spill and a look at buried rivers beneath our feet.
Freighters on the Move
Freighter food, mail delivery, and the life of a Great Lakes freighter pilot.
Deep Dives and Rising Waters
The future of rising lake levels, Great Lakes shipwrecks, and the secret lives of fish.
Old Boats and New Adventures
Heritage sailing on Lake Huron and a historic passenger ship returns to its former glory.
Protecting the Lakes from Pollution
Updates on Lake Erie algal blooms, Flint’s water, and coal ash regulation.
Reef Rescue and Wild Edibles
Cleaning up toxins caused by copper mining, and foraging for Great Lakes wild foods.
Saving Whitefish and Navigating Niagara
Teaching Lake Whitefish to thrive and getting up close at Niagara Falls.
Warming Waters and Mutant Crayfish
Sounding the alarm on an invasive crustacean and rising temperatures in Lake Superior.
Ski Slopes and Saunas
A skier’s paradise on Lake Superior shores, Great Lakes sauna culture and more.
Big Fish and Gray Skies
Great Lakes muskellunge, optimizing solar panels for snow, and another short winter.
Buried Relics and Falling Water – Episode 2401
A Great Lakes archeological dig site and power generation along the Niagara River.
Featured Articles
The lights are coming back on. How can utilities prepare for next time?
With more ice storms expected in the decades ahead as the climate changes, utilities are trying to figure out how to be ready for the next ice storm.
Fish, mines and Indigenous Rights ensnared in court case in northern Ontario
Establishing the Robinson Treaties, covering land around Lake Huron and Lake Superior, created a mess of jurisdiction and rights for First Nations — both signed and unsigned.
Alberto Rey: Art all about Earth
Multimedia artist and fly fishing guide combines multiple areas of life to tackle multi-faceted environmental crises.
‘Forest-to-table’: Rural, Indigenous communities rely on forests for food, medicine and cultural values, research shows
A notable proportion of the U.S. population relies on public forests for food and medicine, but the forest products industry is “not well served by institutions that set forest management policies.”
Digital Credits
The Great Lakes Now Series is produced by Rob Green and Sandra Svoboda.