The 130-Year Closure Plan: Community Risks and Uncertainties
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 outlines a decommissioning and closure phase for the Revell site that spans over a century. Following the emplacement of nuclear fuel, the project enters an “extended monitoring phase” lasting approximately 100 years, followed by a 30-year decommissioning period. Key activities include the sealing of tunnels and shafts, the reclamation of surface sites, and the “co-emplacement” of Low-Level Waste (LLW) and potentially Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW). The Initial Project Description suggests that the final decision to close the site will depend on “society’s desire” and international experience.
Underlying Assumptions
- That “society’s desire” is a measurable and stable metric for decision-making over a 100-year span.
- That licensed facilities for Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW) will be available and accessible in the distant future.
- That the geomechanical stability of the rock will permit invasive procedures like shaft reaming decades after construction.
- That permanent markers will effectively communicate hazards to future civilizations across linguistic and cultural shifts.
Community Assessment
Our analysis suggests that the proposed 130-year timeline represents an intergenerational burden for the residents of Dyment and Borups Corners. By framing the monitoring phase as a passive duration, the proponent masks a lack of operational certainty. This protracted timeline ensures the stigma of nuclear waste remains attached to our local landscape for generations, potentially stifling regional economic diversification. Furthermore, the transition of the site into a multi-stream waste facility for LLW and ILW introduces unquantified risks to local water systems and air quality. The technical process of “reaming shafts” and operating concrete plants decades later signals a return to high-intensity industrial disruption that has not been fully accounted for in current social impact models. The reliance on “adaptive” approaches suggests the Melgund community is being used as a site for large-scale experimentation.
Path Forward
To address these concerns, we recommend the development of a formal “intergenerational consent” framework. This must define how community input will be legally recognized throughout the 100-year monitoring period. Additionally, the proponent must provide a detailed contingency plan for ILW management, identifying specific disposal pathways rather than relying on unspecified future facilities. Clear, pre-defined safety benchmarks must replace the current “adaptive” rhetoric to ensure the safety of Melgund Township is not treated as a long-term experiment.
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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