Analyzing the Impact of Preliminary Infrastructure and Site Development
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 proponent, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), has outlined a massive site preparation phase for the Revell DGR. As detailed in the Initial Project Description, this includes large-scale clearing, grubbing, and “terracing” of the landscape to support an 800-bed worker accommodation camp, heavy industrial facilities, and new access roads connecting to Highway 17. The proponent claims they will use “best available and economically achievable” technologies for water treatment and will time activities to avoid sensitive periods “where practicable.” Key facilities proposed include an aggregate crushing plant, a concrete batch plant, and an explosives management area, effectively transforming the area into a heavy industrial complex before the main repository construction even begins.
Underlying Assumptions
- The assumption that the qualifier “where practicable” provides sufficient accountability for environmental protection.
- The assumption that local water bodies or groundwater can sustain the project’s needs without naming specific sources.
- The assumption that the existing Highway 17 corridor can absorb high industrial traffic volumes without a cumulative safety assessment.
- The assumption that an 800-person influx will not significantly disrupt the social fabric or overwhelm the limited emergency services of nearby rural communities.
- The assumption that “graded security” and “fitness for duty” protocols are adequate to manage the social risks of a large-scale transient workforce.
Community Assessment
Our assessment reveals that the NWMO’s plan is characterized by non-committal language that obscures the true scale of industrial impact on Melgund Township. The frequent use of “where practicable” acts as a regulatory loophole, suggesting that local ecological integrity—such as bird nesting seasons—is secondary to construction expediency. For residents of Dyment and Borups Corners, the proposed 2 to 10 km radius for treated water discharge is particularly alarming; it places our community directly in the path of industrial effluent without providing specific chemical or thermal safety thresholds. Furthermore, the proposed 800-bed worker camp introduces a population that dwarfs the existing local residency, yet the proponent provides no plan for how local police, fire, and health services will handle this surge. This lack of specificity regarding water sourcing and social impacts prevents the community from accurately modeling the risks to our local watersheds and social stability.
Path Forward
To ensure community safety and environmental integrity, the following corrective measures are recommended:
- The proponent must provide specific geographic coordinates and estimated daily volumes for all proposed water withdrawals and discharge points immediately.
- Replace all “where practicable” language with firm, measurable performance standards and commitment windows that align with local ecological cycles.
- Develop a comprehensive Socio-Economic Management Plan for the worker accommodation camp, including a quantitative analysis of the strain on local emergency and healthcare services.
- Clarify the “graded approach” to security and substance use management, providing evidence of how these measures will be monitored and reported to local stakeholders.
- Conduct a cumulative impact assessment for Highway 17 to address the safety risks posed by the surge in heavy industrial traffic.
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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