Assessing the Biophysical Environment of the Revell Site
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 presented its biophysical and geoscientific characterization efforts for the proposed repository. The proponent claims that their history of studies, including borehole drilling and seismic surveys, is “technically rigorous” and “sufficiently advanced” to support the Initial Project Description. They assert that the site is fundamentally suitable for containing used nuclear fuel, suggesting that remaining work is primarily for quantitative documentation rather than determining safety.
Underlying Assumptions
- Meteorological data from the Dryden station (55 km away) is representative of the micro-climatic conditions at the Revell site.
- The current geoscientific data collection is sufficiently complete to satisfy initial licensing and safety assessments.
- Remaining uncertainties do not impact the fundamental suitability of the site.
- Collaborative design with specific groups (WLON and Ignace) adequately covers the scope of community engagement for environmental baseline programs.
Community Assessment
Our assessment reveals a narrative of technical certainty that is fundamentally at odds with the preliminary nature of the data provided. The reliance on meteorological data from the Dryden airport is a glaring technical weakness; wind patterns and precipitation levels at the Revell site—which dictate the dispersion of atmospheric emissions and surface water runoff—cannot be accurately modeled using data from a station nearly an hour’s drive away. Furthermore, the NWMO’s assertion of “fundamental suitability” appears to be a strategic attempt to narrow the scope of the review before the full extent of the project’s risks to its closest neighbors is understood. For the residents of Melgund Township, Dyment, and Borups Corners, the exclusion from the “collaborative design” of these studies is a failure of the proponent’s duty to engage those who will bear the brunt of the project’s local impacts.
Path Forward
To improve the scientific defensibility of the assessment, the proponent should immediately establish and report data from on-site meteorological stations to replace distant proxies. We recommend the creation of a detailed “Uncertainty Registry” that explicitly lists quantitative gaps and explains their potential impact on the safety case. Furthermore, the NWMO must provide specific documentation on how inputs from local residents led to substantive changes in environmental program design, ensuring that immediate neighbors like Borups Corners are included in all future collaborative frameworks.
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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