Evaluating the NWMO’s Engagement Framework and Local Impacts
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 outlines over a decade of engagement activities, primarily focusing on the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON). The proposal highlights commitments to safety, environmental protection, and socio-economic benefits through a framework of co-development. Key claims include the integration of Anishinaabe Inaakonigewin (Indigenous law) into project governance and the establishment of data sovereignty protocols. The proponent asserts that these shared commitments will ensure the project respects traditional lands while providing employment and capacity-building opportunities.
Underlying Assumptions
- Cultural alignment and the use of emotive language like “holistic approach” are assumed to be equivalent to technical safety and regulatory compliance.
- The “Future Adaptability” of the project is assumed to be a positive attribute rather than an indicator of long-term geological and technical uncertainty.
- Engagement with specific Indigenous groups is assumed to sufficiently address the concerns of all geographically proximate residents, including non-Indigenous townships.
- The “toolbox” of engagement methods is assumed to facilitate genuine consent rather than merely managing public perception through plain-language marketing.
Community Assessment
Our assessment identifies a calculated omission of the residents of Melgund Township, specifically the communities of Dyment and Borups Corners, who reside less than 10 kilometers from the proposed Revell site. The Initial Project Description utilizes a strategy of selective inclusion that effectively erases local non-Indigenous neighbors from the primary impact zone. This matters because the industrial reality of high-level nuclear waste storage poses direct risks to our private wells, local property values, and the social cohesion of our community. Furthermore, the co-opting of spiritual language creates a “halo effect” that deflects from the lack of a formal social impact management plan for worker camps and the absence of a dedicated transportation risk analysis for the Highway 17 corridor.
Path Forward
To address these gaps, the proponent must develop a formal Inter-Nation Consultation Framework that integrates the concerns of all identified First Nations with the same rigor applied to WLON. Additionally, a Regulatory Harmonization Protocol is required to clarify decision-making hierarchies when Indigenous law and Western regulations diverge. For the local community, the NWMO must move beyond vague promises of “capacity-building” and provide a Socio-Economic Strategy with specific job targets, procurement goals for local businesses, and enforceable environmental mitigation thresholds for the immediate vicinity of the repository.
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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