Evaluating Community Consent and Regulatory Oversight in the Revell DGR Proposal
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 has included a narrative from the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) detailing a 12-year journey of learning and Ceremony regarding the proposed Deep Geological Repository. This process culminated in a November 2024 referendum where 87.4% of participating members expressed a willingness to proceed into the regulatory phase. Central to this proposal is the condition that the project must be “proven safe” and respect Anishinaabe values. Furthermore, WLON has introduced its own Regulatory Assessment and Approval Process (RAAP) to exercise jurisdiction and oversight over development within its territory, as outlined in the Initial Project Description.
Underlying Assumptions
- The 87.4% referendum result is assumed to represent a broad mandate, despite undisclosed voter turnout and eligibility data.
- The term “proven safe” is assumed to have a mutually understood technical definition between the proponent and the community.
- It is assumed that the internal RAAP process will integrate seamlessly with federal Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) requirements.
- The narrative assumes that socio-cultural benefits and “healing” can effectively mitigate the industrial risks of high-level nuclear waste storage.
Community Assessment
Our community assessment suggests that the proponent is utilizing emotive, socio-cultural storytelling to potentially substitute for rigorous, site-specific technical risk assessments. While the sovereign journey of WLON is significant, the reliance on language such as “spaces of healing” and “identity reclamation” may serve to obscure the tangible risks faced by those in the immediate vicinity, such as the residents of Melgund, Dyment, and Borups Corners. These unorganized communities sit less than 10 kilometers from the proposed Revell site and remain excluded from the “community-driven” foundation described by the proponent.
The lack of technical substance regarding what constitutes a “proven safe” threshold is a major concern. Without clear radiological or environmental indicators, these assurances remain rhetorical. Furthermore, the focus on “off-reserve members returning home” presents an aspirational future that ignores the potential for groundwater contamination, property devaluation, and the permanent socio-economic stigma associated with a nuclear repository. The community observes a “regulatory vacuum” where the rights and safety of the project’s closest non-Indigenous neighbors are marginalized in favor of a curated social license narrative.
Path Forward
To improve the transparency and safety of the process, the following measures are recommended:
- The proponent must provide a detailed technical annex of the studies conducted by WLON, including specific safety parameters and environmental indicators used to reach their conclusions.
- A clear definition of the “proven safe” threshold must be established to ensure informed support is backed by accessible, measurable data.
- The proponent must clarify the legal and operational relationship between the WLON RAAP and the federal IAAC process to avoid regulatory uncertainty.
- Specific mitigation strategies must be developed for the unorganized communities of Melgund, addressing cumulative impacts on local infrastructure and shared watersheds.
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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