Evaluating the Social License for 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 twenty-year engagement history culminating in the selection of the Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) area as the host site for the Deep Geological Repository. As detailed in the Initial Project Description, the proponent claims to have established “enduring and transparent relationships” through a “community-driven” process. This included the use of Community Liaison Committees (CLCs) and “Learn More” agreements to build what they describe as a robust foundation of social and technical willingness.
Underlying Assumptions
- The political “willingness” expressed by the Township of Ignace is sufficient to represent the consent of the entire geographical region, including unorganized territories.
- “Plain-language” marketing materials are an adequate substitute for the disclosure of rigorous, raw technical data regarding nuclear safety.
- Existing regional infrastructure deficits, such as housing and healthcare shortages, are external issues rather than impacts that will be exacerbated by the project.
- The geological suitability of the Revell site is a settled fact rather than a point of ongoing public and scientific debate.
Community Assessment
Our assessment reveals a significant disconnect between the NWMO’s narrative of “inclusive engagement” and the reality for residents in Melgund Township, including Dyment and Borups Corners. Despite being located less than 10 kilometers from the proposed repository footprint, these communities have been relegated to a secondary list of “interested parties” rather than being treated as primary impacted neighbors. This marginalization creates a “stigma effect,” where those facing the highest physical and environmental risks are granted the least agency in the decision-making process. Furthermore, the reliance on only six engagement events for the Initial Project Description phase is insufficient for a project of this national magnitude. The use of emotive language like “resilient partnerships” often masks the lack of binding commitments to address social friction, community polarization, and the potential decline in local quality of life due to workforce influx.
Path Forward
To ensure a fair and transparent assessment, we recommend the following corrective measures:
- The development of a comprehensive ‘Comment Disposition Table’ that tracks how feedback from critical voices and regional municipalities specifically results in changes to project design.
- The creation of a ‘Regional Readiness and Mitigation Plan’ that provides quantified strategies and financial commitments to address housing, healthcare, and emergency service burdens.
- The formal recognition of Melgund and its residents as a primary impacted community with the same level of technical transparency and veto power afforded to the official host municipality.
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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