Friday December 19, 2025 was an EPIC WIN for Ontario, Canada Prime Minister Dave Ford. The same day the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee (of which Wyoming is a member) approved the disposal of nuclear waste from Ontario to Utah – he also announced a brand new nuclear energy agreement with Governor Kathy Hochul of New York state (video below).
Apparently the Ontario Power Generation plant is just two hours north of Buffalo, NY. Yet Ontario is over 33 hours driving time northeast of Utah. One would think that if Ontario really wants to dump their nuclear waste in the United States, the State of New York would be the most logical place. But one would be wrong, because New York is not a member of a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact. There are actually only 27 states that are a member of a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact:
| Compact | Compact Committee Website | Member States |
| Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact (Atlantic Compact) | Atlantic Compact Commission | Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina |
| Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management | NW Compact | Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming |
| Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact | SE Compact Commission | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia |
| Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact | Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board | Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico |
| Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact | Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission | Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma |
| Appalachian States Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact | Appalachian States Low Level Radioactive Waste Commission | Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia |
The video below points out that Ontario power generation also has a nuclear partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, which also produces power in Tennessee for Southern states (and they also expect a $400 million grant from the Trump Administration to further their research on nuclear power by the way).
Since Tennessee is a member state of the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact one would assume they should take up an agreement to store Ontario’s nuclear waste. But one would be wrong again – the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact does not have language that allows their member states to enter into agreements with “provinces”.
Out of the six Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compacts listed above, only one includes the language that allows their member states to enter into agreements with “provinces” – that is the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, of which Wyoming is a member. As we mentioned yesterday, the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management is codified into Wyoming law, §9-6-206 to 9-6-210. The pertinent part that mentions “provinces” is:
WY §9-6-206
ARTICLE V – NORTHWEST LOW-LEVEL WASTE COMPACT COMMITTEE
The governor of each party state shall designate one (1) official of that state as the person responsible for administration of this compact. The officials so designated shall together comprise the northwest low-level waste compact committee. The committee shall meet as required to consider matters arising under this compact. The parties shall inform the committee of existing regulations concerning low-level waste management in their states, and shall afford all parties a reasonable opportunity to review and comment upon any proposed modifications in such regulations. Notwithstanding any provision of article IV to the contrary, the committee may enter into arrangements with states, provinces, individual generators, or regional compact entities outside the region comprised of the party states for access to facilities on such terms and conditions as the committee may deem appropriate. However, it shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all such members, including the affirmative vote of the member of any party state in which a facility affected by such arrangement is located, for the committee to enter into such arrangement.
As you wrap your head around this reality take note that: 1) There are many provinces outside of the North American continent; 2) Many countries are desperately trying to solve the problem of where to store their nuclear waste; and 3) With a few more meetings and strokes of the pen the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee can turn our Wyoming life even more inside-out.
According to Wikipedia:
A province is a subdivision of a country. It is a kind of local government.
Some countries are divided into provinces. The word “province” comes from the Latin word provincia.
South Africa, Canada, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Indonesia, and Denmark are examples of countries that are divided into provinces.
Right now Wyoming is in desperate need of at least two things:
1) Courageous legislators to sponsor legislation that will dissolve our membership in the Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact.
2) Citizens far and wide that will share this information with their legislators and press them to save us and our state from this Compact.
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Ontario pledges Nuclear Partnership with NY, WGRZ-TV, Dec 19, 2025:
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