Analyzing the Risks of Concurrent Underground Operations
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 a design featuring parallel placement rooms organized into panels, excavated via controlled drill and blast techniques. The proponent claims that a twin-tunnel system will effectively segregate nuclear and non-nuclear traffic, ensuring safety during the concurrent execution of excavation and fuel emplacement. The plan includes extensive underground infrastructure, such as maintenance shops and refuge stations, and asserts that the majority of excavated rock is non-acid generating, posing minimal environmental risk.
Underlying Assumptions
- Drill and blast vibrations will not compromise the structural integrity of bentonite seals or the host rock in adjacent panels.
- The 3% of excavated rock not classified as biotite granodiorite-tonalite is environmentally insignificant and requires only reactive management.
- Concurrent excavation and nuclear waste emplacement can be safely managed within shared ventilation and access infrastructure.
- Interim storage of Low-Level and Intermediate-Level waste on-site is a temporary measure with no long-term disposal implications for the local area.
Community Assessment
Our community assessment finds that the proponent’s narrative often uses clinical language to downplay the intensity of what is essentially a multi-decade, high-impact mining operation. For residents in Dyment and Borups Corners, the term “controlled drill and blast” translates to persistent seismic and acoustic disturbances. Observations highlight a critical lack of detail regarding the 3% of rock that may be acid-generating; in a region defined by pristine water systems, even small percentages of reactive minerals pose a significant threat to the watershed. Furthermore, the “concurrent” operational model—digging new rooms while filling others with radioactive waste—introduces complex risks regarding fire, dust, and accidental radiological release that have not been transparently addressed. The community is also concerned about “scope creep,” as the site appears to be evolving into a multi-purpose nuclear waste hub due to the planned on-site storage of secondary waste streams.
Path Forward
To ensure community safety and environmental protection, the following measures are recommended: First, the proponent must provide a comprehensive mineralogical characterization of all excavated rock types and a specific management plan for reactive materials. Second, a detailed “Simultaneous Operations” (SIMOPS) protocol must be established to define safety buffers and vibration monitoring thresholds for blasting near active nuclear zones. Finally, a clear, time-bound strategy for the removal of all secondary waste (LLW and ILW) must be published to prevent the Revell site from becoming a permanent storage facility for materials beyond its primary mandate.
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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