WABIGOON LAKE – The Deep Geological Repository is a controversial issue for the people of Northwestern Ontario. And it should be. With 3.1 million bundles of nuclear waste in short-term storage, the question of how to safely store Canada’s nuclear waste isn’t one to take lightly.
In July at the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Conference, Grand Chief Derek Fox said, “I assure you if I have to be the one getting hauled away to jail for putting a stop to [the Deep Geological Repository], I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I will be right there with our membership and our leaderships ensuring that this waste doesn’t enter our territory.”
Wabigoon Lake First Nation Chief Clayton Wetelainen expressed his concern with NAN’s sudden opposition to the DGR project by stating, “I am a little disappointed. I give respect to our fellow people up north. If it was my concern, I would have phoned the Chief or the people concerned and gotten some information on what has been happening before I would go out and make statements that I don’t have too much information about. I would have wanted a little bit of respect and maybe a phone call to get some clarification before their statements.”
Although the NWMO’s Adaptive Phased Management project and the development of a DGR are in the Treaty #3 Territory, there are a lot of concerns regarding who gets the final say in the site selection.
However, there are protocols when it comes to these types of big projects on jurisdictional lands. For Chief Wetelainen, it would have been courteous of NAN to sit down with the representatives of Treaty Three or Wetelainen himself to gather more information before making such statements.
“It is a controversial issue. It’s a real controversial issue for the entire country,” said Wetelainen. “Our community has had to learn about the issue, not just about the waste disposal, but with the energy needs and the energy change that is happening in the country. There is a lot of debate on if Nuclear is the solution to a greener economy. Our membership is learning about that and we are debating it internally in our community. We have to be informed if we are going to make a huge decision.”
For the past six years, Wabigoon’s Lakes council has been at the forefront of this decision and will be for many years to come. NWMO has already stated that they are open to conversing further with NAN and anyone who wants to bring their concerns forward. They even pushed back their timetable for site selection from early 2023 to late 2024.
“Their engagement (NWMO) has been with the closer community of the DGR site,” explains Wetelainen. “I can’t speak for NWMO, but they only can offer who wants to come and listen. So, if somebody has an issue or if I had an issue I would go and seek information and tell them our position. Then tell them this is what we need to know before we even start discussions. There is a job that NWMO has to do and there is a job the Treaty Nations, the individual First Nations, the grassroots memberships have to learn about.”
Wetelainen also states that even he is as been skeptical of the DGR.
“I also said, no not in my backyard at the time,” said Wetelainen. “But when you start to read about the issues and learn it starts to enlighten your viewpoint.”
For Wetelainen, the decision to store nuclear waste at Ravell Lake is one he didn’t take lightly. He recognizes that Canada has a big problem in their bid for clean energy. However, he also acknowledges that these decisions need to be informed by Knowledge Keepers and scientific research before the first barrel is put into the ground anywhere in Canada.
To learn more about Wabigoon and the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3 current agreements with NWMO to include language revitalization, land-based learning, environmental monitoring, as well as project assessment processes and education on the nuclear industry, click on the link.
NWMO has put out their Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste draft for all to read and have input on be it is sent to the Minister of Natural Resources.
For more information about the ISRW, please visit https://radwasteplanning.ca and the NWMO at https://www.nwmo.ca
