Reviewing the Revell Site Initial Project Description
This article is part of a series exploring the views and perspectives of youth, artists and community members working with the Melgund Integrated Nuclear Impact Assessment Project. This initiative is a climate entrepreneurship and arts-based community recreation program, developed through community consultation, engagement participation in the integrated impact assessment process for the NWMO’s proposed Deep Geological Repository for nuclear waste fuel.
What is Proposed
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has outlined its approach to Indigenous relations and site selection in the Initial Project Description for the Deep Geological Repository (DGR). The proponent identifies the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) as a willing and informed host and acknowledges that the project will have enduring impacts on traditional lands and resources. The proposal includes commitments to seek Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), align operations with Anishinaabe values, and address the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). However, the proponent explicitly admits that current data regarding Indigenous populations and on-reserve communities is not a full representation of the region’s demographics.
Underlying Assumptions
Our analysis of the text identifies several critical assumptions guiding the proponent’s current approach:
- Political vs. Physical Geography: The text assumes that the severity of impact is determined by political boundaries (identifying WLON as the "most proximate" group) rather than physical proximity to the site, effectively bypassing the immediate neighbors in Melgund Township.
- Subjectivity of Risk: The document frames concerns regarding environmental contamination or radiological exposure as "perceptions of risk," implying these are subjective feelings rather than responses to quantifiable physical hazards.
- Aspirational Mitigation: There is an assumption that high-level commitments to "values" and "learning journeys" can substitute for concrete, technical mitigation plans regarding infrastructure strain and community safety.
Community Assessment
The community review highlights a concern regarding the "erasure" of immediate neighbors. By focusing the narrative almost exclusively on the "willing and informed hosts" of WLON, the proponent minimizes the presence of permanent residents in Melgund Township, including Dyment and Borups Corners, who live less than 10 kilometers from the Revell site. This creates a hierarchy of impact that ignores shared watersheds, transportation corridors, and atmospheric risks.
Furthermore, the admission that the Initial Project Description relies on incomplete data regarding populations within municipal and unincorporated communities is a significant regulatory concern. For the Local Services Board of Melgund and surrounding residents, this suggests that current impact assessments are built on a foundation that lacks a rigorous understanding of local demographics and social cohesion. Additionally, while the commitment to MMIWG Call for Justice #13 is stated, the lack of specific, actionable mitigation strategies for the increased safety risks associated with extractive-style developments remains a critical gap for community safety.
Path Forward
To address these deficiencies, the following corrective measures are recommended:
- Data Completion: The proponent must prioritize the completion of Indigenous identity and on-reserve community data sets before proceeding to the next phase of the Impact Assessment.
- Mitigation Framework: The NWMO should transition from high-level commitments to a detailed "Indigenous Rights and Interests Mitigation Framework." This must explicitly define how Anishinaabe values will be integrated into technical decision-making.
- Actionable Safety Protocols: A clear roadmap for actioning MMIWG Call for Justice #13 is required, including gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) in workforce planning and specific community safety protocols.
About the Integrated Assessment Process
The federal Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has formally launched the integrated impact assessment process for the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for Canada’s Used Nuclear Fuel Project, a major national infrastructure initiative led by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO).
The proposed underground repository is designed to permanently contain and isolate used nuclear fuel in a secure geological formation. Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace have been selected as host communities for the project. The site is located approximately 21 kilometres southeast of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and 43 kilometres northwest of Ignace, Ontario, near Highway 17.
According to project materials, the repository would provide permanent storage for approximately 5.9 million bundles of used nuclear fuel. The full lifecycle of the project is expected to span roughly 160 years, including site preparation, construction, operations, closure, and long-term monitoring.
Integrated Federal Review
Major nuclear projects in Canada are subject to an integrated assessment process jointly led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). This “one project, one review” approach is intended to streamline regulatory oversight while ensuring rigorous evaluation of environmental, health, social, economic, and Indigenous rights impacts.
Under this framework, IAAC oversees the impact assessment requirements under the Impact Assessment Act, while the CNSC regulates nuclear safety under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. The CNSC will issue the initial site preparation licence and manage all subsequent nuclear licensing for the project’s duration.
The integrated assessment also includes a focus on potential impacts on Indigenous Peoples, including rights, land use, cultural practices, health, and socio-economic conditions. Where potential adverse effects are identified, the process is intended to identify mitigation measures to reduce or avoid harm.
Public Comment Period Now Open
The first public comment period for the project is currently open and will run until February 4, 2026. During this phase, the public is invited to provide feedback on the Summary of the Initial Project Description submitted by the NWMO. Submissions received during this period will inform IAAC’s summary of issues, which will guide the next stages of the impact assessment. All comments submitted become part of the public project record and are posted to the federal Impact Assessment Registry.
This plain-language summary is provided by ECO-STAR North and Art Borups Corners to support public engagement.
Disclaimer: The views and perspectives expressed in this article are solely those of the independent arts program led by ECO-STAR North and Art Borups Corners. They do not reflect the official positions of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) or the Government of Canada.
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