IGNACE — People opposing the transportation of nuclear waste into Northwestern Ontario and its long-term burial here continue to encourage others who feel the same to make their voices heard.
Members of We the Nuclear Free North held a series of online discussions on Aug. 5 — a week before the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s own public engagement sessions in Dryden on Aug. 12 and 13 about the divisive proposed deep geological repository (or DGR). The NWMO has selected Revell Lake near Ignace for the underground waste storage facility, but its construction is still contingent on the project passing years of regulatory review.
Anti-nuclear advocates are stressing that, despite a “preferred site” being chosen, nothing is final.
“It is important that people stay engaged,” said Dodie LeGassick, the nuclear lead for Environment North, one of the organizations that is part of the We the Nuclear Free North coalition.
She said her organization has printed up new promotional materials to highlight that there is still a long way to go.
“The new stickers say ‘it's not a done deal,’” LeGassick said. “Really, the response is that (opponents of the DGR) are really discouraged.”
“Some people are concerned that things will be pushed through.”
Brennain Lloyd, project coordinator with Northwatch, an environmental non-governmental organization, and a We the Nuclear Free North volunteer, said people “need to appreciate that NWMO has selected the Revell site as their preferred location but there has been no decision made.”
“NWMO’s made the decision that that's where they want to go, but they haven't presented a case and they haven't got approval for that case,” she continued.
“So, it's not a done deal.”
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization itself has said construction of the repository at Revell Lake is still subject to years of regulatory scrutiny, including needing to obtain licences from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the approval of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. The government-mandated and industry-funded organization is preparing its initial project description, which, once submitted, effectively kicks off the impact assessment process.
Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation will also conduct its own separate parallel review process.
As part of its initial project description preparations, the NWMO held public sessions in Ignace back in July and, more recently, in Dryden on Aug. 12 and 13, as well as a pair of online webinars on Aug. 6.
About 20 people in total attended the two Dryden sessions, said Vince Ponka, the NWMO’s Indigenous and regional communications manager.
“You never know for sure how many people are going to come out,” he said. “What always happens is the people that do come out are always very engaged and are there to learn and share their thoughts.”
Lloyd said the low turnout is noteworthy.
“I think that says something about the way the NWMO runs their sessions,” she said. “We know that there is a high level of interest in this project, we know that there's a high level of concern about this project, and we know that people are not engaging with the NWMO.”
Ponka said one of the Dryden sessions was more of an informal drop-in-type meeting, where people could ask questions and provide comment, and the other was a more structured affair, which included an hour-long presentation. He said consultants were on-site taking feedback; that information, he said, will be used “to develop and improve our initial project description submission.”
The description, once completed, will have a summary of the engagement events and while people’s individual comments won’t be quoted directly, “general areas of interest or concerns” will be included.
The NWMO is also accepting written submissions; the five-week window opened on July 17.
Lloyd said, for those like her and her group who oppose the DGR and who have concerns about the transportation of the waste into the region, it’s important to stay engaged, and, if they’re going to provide comment to the waste management organization, to also forward that correspondence to area MPs and the federal environment minister.
“I think that this is ultimately going to be a political decision — it will be a decision by either the minister or cabinet, but I think that we need to be very attentive at every stage along the way,” Lloyd said.
“This has been a long road so far, and people need to remain engaged.”
