Assessing Groundwater Stability and Surface Water Integrity
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 NWMO’s Initial Project Description outlines the baseline hydrogeological conditions for the Revell site. The proponent claims that the crystalline rock at depth possesses extremely low hydraulic conductivity—roughly a million times less than sand. They assert that groundwater below 600 meters is highly saline, ancient (over a million years old), and isolated from surface water systems, suggesting a stable environment for nuclear waste containment. The proponent further claims that surface water quality is generally healthy, despite some noted exceedances in specific parameters.
Underlying Assumptions
- Data from only six boreholes is statistically and geologically representative of the entire project site.
- The absence of detected glacial meltwater in a limited number of samples proves a total lack of recent recharge pathways.
- Current surface water exceedances for mercury, copper, and E. coli are baseline anomalies that do not require source investigation.
- Technical metrics alone are sufficient to define the health of water ecosystems without the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge.
Community Assessment
Our community review highlights significant gaps in the proponent’s characterization of the local environment. With only six deep boreholes used for site-wide characterization, there is a high risk that significant geological features, such as major fracture zones, have been overlooked. These fractures could serve as pathways for radionuclide transport. Furthermore, the report acknowledges existing exceedances of mercury, copper, and E. coli in local rivers like the Wabigoon and Mennin, yet fails to investigate their origins. For the community, water is not merely a technical variable; it is a life-sustaining resource. The current lack of Indigenous Knowledge or traditional land use data in the baseline means the assessment may fail to protect waterbodies of high cultural or spiritual importance. The ‘absence of evidence’ regarding glacial meltwater penetration is being used as ‘evidence of absence’ of potential pathways, which is a concerning logical leap given the limited sampling.
Path Forward
To improve the technical robustness and community trust in this assessment, the proponent must increase the density of the borehole network to better characterize the spatial variability of the rock mass. A more comprehensive sampling program for deep porewater is required to validate the ‘ancient’ age of the groundwater across the entire repository footprint. Additionally, a detailed source-term investigation for existing surface water exceedances—particularly mercury and E. coli—is crucial for establishing a defensible baseline. Finally, we recommend the immediate initiation of a formal program to integrate Indigenous Knowledge regarding local hydrology, ensuring that the assessment accounts for seasonal variations and cultural dependencies on specific waterbodies.
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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