NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO – Finding a long-term solution to managing Canada’s Nuclear waste is not an issue to take lightly. Considering the highly radioactive substance, even after the uranium has used up all of its energy in the reactor, there is no dispute that nuclear waste is still deadly to humans and the environment.
A site selection process has been underway since 2010 to find a site for a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel. With 22 communities expressing interest in the project and after a rigorous study of each area, two sites remain under consideration: One is near Ignace in the traditional territory of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in Northwestern Ontario, and the other in the Municipality of South Bruce and the traditional territory of Saugeen Ojibway Nation in Southern Ontario.
With both potential sites located on Treaty territory, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization has created a layer of transparency for this project.
With extended consultations and involvement with the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, their website, their Mobile Learn More Centre, and now their virtual open house, NWMO provides information about their ongoing investigations for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel.
The virtual open house provides a three-dimensional overview of the environmental studies NWMO has and will continue to conduct. The information is laid out in a sleek presentation with easy-to-read diagrams about each survey, including which organization performed the study and the studied area.
“The information that we are collecting helps us understand the existing conditions and trends of many features in the environment,” said Joanne Jacyk, manager of the Environment Program at the NWMO. “The program is co-designed with local participation and is centred on the questions and concerns of the community.”
The data collected will help inform the site selection process and contribute to understanding the local environment and how it can be protected.
“It is important for us to understand how the environment is changing now, so those good decisions can be made to protect and maybe even improve the current conditions,” said Jacyk. “It is also important that the data collected addresses the questions and concerns of the community.” The environmental work is extremely robust and covers a wide range of subjects, including soil sampling, tissue chemistry, hydrology, surface water quality, atmospheric studies, terrestrial ecosystem mapping, moose surveys and more.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel inside a deep geological repository in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. Founded in 2002, the NWMO has been guided for 20 years by a dedicated team of world-class scientists, engineers and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers developing innovative and collaborative solutions for nuclear waste management. Canada’s plan will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nation and Métis communities, and others are working together to implement it. The NWMO plans to select a site in 2023.
