Understanding the Scale and Scope 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 plan to process approximately 5.9 million used nuclear fuel bundles at a proposed Used Fuel Packaging Plant (UFPP) and Deep Geological Repository (DGR). As detailed in the Initial Project Description, the project is expected to span over 160 years, including 50 years of active operations. The proponent claims that the facility will process 120,000 bundles annually using remote-controlled “hot cells” to minimize worker radiation exposure. The project is framed as a definitive solution for Canada’s current nuclear fleet, with the NWMO asserting that any capacity increases would require further community and regulatory approval.
Underlying Assumptions
Our analysis has identified several critical assumptions embedded in the proponent’s planning:
- The 5.9 million bundle estimate assumes no significant changes to Canada’s nuclear strategy, such as the introduction of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
- The “conceptual reference design” is assumed to be sufficient for current safety modeling, despite potential future optimizations.
- Transportation logistics are based on an average of “two trucks per day,” assuming a steady flow without seasonal or operational surges.
- Institutional stability and community engagement can be maintained consistently over a 160-year multi-generational timeframe.
Community Assessment
For the residents of Melgund Township, including Dyment and Borups Corners, the scale of this project represents a permanent industrial transformation. Our assessment finds that the “two trucks per day” narrative is a reductive abstraction that fails to account for the massive influx of secondary logistics—such as the transport of bentonite, copper, and construction materials—required to support a century-long industrial site. Furthermore, the admission that “alternative container designs” may be explored suggests that the safety case is a moving target. The introduction of a concrete batch plant and a sealing material compaction plant transforms a rural area into a heavy industrial zone, posing direct risks to the local watershed and the socio-economic identity of the region. The 160-year timeline is not just a technical phase; it is a multi-generational imposition that risks leaving a permanent radiological legacy long after the initial economic promises have faded.
Path Forward
To address these concerns and improve the transparency of the impact assessment, we recommend the following corrective measures:
- The proponent must provide a detailed contingency plan and capacity limit for “temporary dry storage” to ensure surface inventory does not become an unassessed long-term risk.
- A comprehensive waste balance sheet must be produced, detailing the management of secondary waste streams like contaminated tools and copper machining scraps.
- A formal legal mechanism must be defined to explain how neighboring communities, not just the primary “host,” can exercise influence over future inventory increases.
- The proponent should elaborate on the long-term strategy for maintaining institutional memory and site security over the full 160-year lifecycle.
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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