Understanding the Choices for Revell
As we look out over the rugged beauty of Northwestern Ontario, many of us in Melgund Township are wondering about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) and their plans for the Revell Site. Their latest report regarding the Deep Geological Repository talks a lot about “choices,” but we need to know how those choices affect our backyard in Borups Corners and Dyment.
What We Are Learning
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization says they spent years talking to people across Canada to figure out the best way to handle nuclear waste. They developed a framework based on “citizen values” and ten specific questions to guide their decisions. They also hired specialists to crunch the numbers on risks and look at how the project might change the economy in different “illustrative” regions.
The Reality Check
What is being promised: A “rigorous assessment” of risks based on values shared by people from coast to coast to ensure the project is implemented safely.
What we need to verify: Whether those “national” values actually protect the specific water, soil, and the quiet way of life we enjoy here. We need to know if a framework built on conversations in big cities truly reflects the needs of those living less than 10 kilometres from the site.
The Path Forward
The report mentions that specialists conducted a “formal quantification of risk,” yet the specific methods and math used to reach those conclusions remain hidden from public view (The Gap). Therefore, we are calling for the NWMO to explicitly list the “10 questions” and the full technical methodologies used in their Impact Assessment so our community can conduct a transparent review (The Solution). It is also vital that we see exactly how local Indigenous Knowledge influenced these technical rules, rather than just being mentioned as a general concept.
Why It Matters Here
For us, this isn’t a theoretical study or a corporate slide deck. It’s about the woods where we hunt and the lakes where we fish. If the NWMO uses “illustrative” or generic economic models, they might miss the unique vulnerabilities of unorganized townships like ours. We need to ensure that the Deep Geological Repository doesn’t lead to property devaluation or social disruption in our specific corner of Northwestern Ontario.
Have Your Say
This affects our future. Submit your feedback on this specific issue via our Engage page to ensure the Impact Assessment Agency hears from our community.
The Melgund Integrated Nuclear Impact Assessment Project
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is reviewing the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) at the Revell Site, located near Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in Northwestern Ontario.
This major nuclear infrastructure project is undergoing a joint federal review by the IAAC and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to evaluate environmental, health, social, and Indigenous rights impacts over its projected 160-year lifecycle.
Public Feedback Open: Comments on the Initial Project Description are accepted until February 4, 2026. Submissions help shape the formal impact assessment guidelines.
This short article and summary is based on an initial analysis of a proponent’s initial project description. It does not represent, any community the NWMO or the Government of Canada. Learn more at the Melgund Integrated Nuclear Impact Assessment Project project page.
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