Assessing the Physical Footprint and Long-Term Risks of the Revell DGR
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 a conceptual design for a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) intended to house used nuclear fuel. The proposal includes a 340-hectare surface site and an extensive underground facility. The proponent claims that safety is ensured through a system of multiple natural and engineered barriers, including the geological characteristics of the site, bentonite clay, and specialized fuel containers. The infrastructure described in the Initial Project Description includes a used fuel packaging plant, ventilation shafts, and an Excavated Rock Management Area. The project lifecycle is estimated at 170 years, encompassing construction, operation, and a century of post-closure monitoring.
Underlying Assumptions
- The multi-barrier system is presented as a settled scientific certainty rather than an engineering hypothesis subject to long-term geological and chemical variables.
- Institutional and regulatory stability will persist for centuries to manage the transition to ‘institutional control.’
- Design refinements made during the licensing phase will not fundamentally alter the environmental or socio-economic impacts identified during the initial assessment.
- Engagement with specific administrative centers sufficiently represents the interests of all residents within the immediate geographic impact zone.
Community Assessment
Our community assessment reveals that the proponent’s narrative often minimizes the industrial intensity of the Revell site. A critical observation is the strategic omission of Melgund Township—including the communities of Dyment and Borups Corners—from the primary ‘host community’ framework, despite their proximity of less than 10 kilometers to the site. This matters because it effectively erases the lived reality of those who will face the most direct disruption from heavy rail operations, explosives storage, and the management of intermediate-level waste. Furthermore, the lack of detail regarding water management systems and effluent treatment creates significant uncertainty for local aquifers. The community views the 100-year ‘extended monitoring’ phase not as a safety feature, but as a deferred intergenerational liability that places the burden of vigilance on future local residents while the proponent seeks release from legal responsibility.
Path Forward
To address these concerns, the proponent must provide a ‘Design Evolution Framework’ that defines the maximum allowable changes to the project footprint before a new impact assessment is required. We recommend the formalization of a financial assurance plan for the ‘Institutional Control’ phase to protect future generations from costs. Additionally, the NWMO must clarify how Indigenous Knowledge and local community observations will be weighted against technical engineering data, ensuring that collaboration results in tangible influence over project outcomes and environmental stewardship.
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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