Digging Into the Values Behind the Revell Site
Hello neighbours in Melgund Township, Borups Corners, and Dyment. As we look at the future of Northwestern Ontario, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has shared how they started their journey toward the proposed Deep Geological Repository at the Revell Site. It is all about ‘Phase 2,’ where they set the ground rules for the whole project through an Impact Assessment framework.
What We Are Learning
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization says they spent time asking Canadians what matters most. They held a ‘National Citizens Dialogue’ and came up with ten big questions and six core values to guide their study. They also narrowed down a list of 14 ways to handle nuclear waste to a ‘shortlist’ of the most promising methods, which they believe will set the agenda for years to come.
The Reality Check
What is being promised: A collaborative process based on the values of 462 Canadians to ensure the project meets public expectations and uses the best technical methods.
What we need to verify: Whether a group of 462 people can truly speak for the unique needs of Northwestern Ontario, and why certain technical methods were tossed out before we even got to see the full list or the criteria used to judge them.
The Path Forward
The report noted that the core values and the ‘overarching requirement’ used to judge the project haven’t been clearly defined for our local context; therefore, we are calling for the NWMO to explicitly list those six values and the ten questions they are using. We also need to see the full list of 14 technical methods and the exact reasons why some were rejected. The report noted a lack of transparency in how these choices were made; therefore, we are calling for a detailed breakdown of the participants to ensure our rural and Indigenous voices weren’t drowned out by a small national sample. This isn’t just about ‘promise’—it is about the technical proof that our water and land will stay safe.
Why It Matters Here
For those of us in Melgund Township, these ‘values’ aren’t just words on a page. They dictate how the study will look at our hunting grounds, our quiet nights, and the safety of the roads through Borups Corners and Dyment. If the foundation of the study is too narrow, it might miss the specific risks to our local way of life and the environment around the Revell Site.
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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