Section Synopsis
Pages: 59This section of the NWMO summary document asserts that the proposed DGR project will have no environmental impact on federal lands or jurisdictions outside of Ontario. It clarifies that the NWMO is a private, industry-funded non-profit rather than a federal agency, and notes that the project site will be transferred from provincial Crown land to private ownership by the NWMO. The document concludes that the distance to the Manitoba and United States borders precludes any transboundary environmental effects.
Community Assessment Narrative
The NWMO's language in this section is a masterclass in legalistic distancing. By focusing entirely on 'federal lands' and 'provinces outside Ontario,' they are effectively ignoring the people of Melgund Township who live less than 10km away. The claim that the NWMO is 'not a federal government agency' feels like a strategic move to dodge certain layers of public accountability while still hiding behind a federal mandate. For those of us in Dyment and Borups Corners, the most alarming 'glossy' generalization is the casual mention that Crown land will become 'privately held by the NWMO.' This is corporate-speak for taking away our backyard and putting up a fence. They use distances like 210 km to Manitoba to make the project seem isolated, but for those of us living in the shadow of the Revell site, these distances are a distraction from the immediate local disruption.
Impacts on Local Recreation: The proposed transfer of provincial Crown land to private NWMO ownership is a direct threat to the Melgund way of life. Currently, these lands are used extensively for hunting, fishing, and as a corridor for snowmobiling and ATV trails that connect our community to the broader wilderness. If this land becomes private, we face the loss of traditional access routes and the 'stigma' of recreating near a nuclear waste site. The acoustic environment, currently silent and pristine, will be shattered by construction and transport noise, ruining the peace that brings people to the Dyment Recreation Hall and surrounding camps. The NWMO fails to mention how 'private' status will affect the local trail networks that are the lifeblood of our winter tourism and local social cohesion.
Corrective Measures & Recommendations
The NWMO must provide a legally binding 'Land Access and Recreation Guarantee' for the residents of Melgund Township. This agreement should explicitly outline how the NWMO will maintain public access to traditional hunting grounds and existing ATV/snowmobile trails even after the land is transferred to private ownership. If access is restricted for security reasons, the NWMO must fund the development of equivalent recreational infrastructure and trail bypasses in consultation with local trail associations.
Furthermore, the NWMO needs to move beyond 'modeling' to justify their claims of zero impact. They must establish a community-led environmental monitoring committee in Melgund that has the power to trigger independent audits of noise, dust, and water quality. We need a clear definition of what 'private ownership' entails—specifically, will there be armed security, high-fencing, or 'No Trespassing' zones that turn our recreational backyard into a restricted industrial fortress?
On 16 February, 2026 the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), with input from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), published a Summary of Issues (SOI) for the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for Canada’s Used Nuclear Fuel Project, put forward by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). The SOI identifies the key issues that IAAC considers relevant to the federal integrated impact assessment process for the project. NWMO’s response to the SOI will assist IAAC in determining whether an impact assessment is required under section 16 of the Impact Assessment Act. If an impact assessment is required, the issues outlined in the SOI—together with NWMO’s response—will help shape the scope of the assessment and inform the continued development and finalization of the Integrated Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines and associated plans.
Alignments to IAAC Summary (SOI)
Based on a cross-reference of Melgund Township’s community findings against the IAAC’s February 16, 2026, Summary of Issues (SOI), the following alignments and gaps have been identified:
Alignment on Land Use and Access
Melgund Township’s primary concern regarding the privatization of Crown land and the potential loss of access to traditional hunting grounds and trails aligns directly with the IAAC SOI section on Socio-Economic Conditions. The Agency explicitly flags "Socio-economic impacts to land use" as a key issue, stating a need for information on how the project affects "recreation, tourism, fishing, hunting... and existing roads that are used by these land users." Melgund’s specific recommendation for a binding "Land Access and Recreation Guarantee" serves as a necessary mitigation strategy for the exact risk identified by the Agency.
Validation of Baseline Data Requirements
The community’s rejection of the NWMO’s reliance on "future modeling" in favor of hard evidence is strongly supported by the SOI. Under Socio-Economic Conditions, the IAAC notes a specific "need for community-led baseline data collection." Additionally, Annex A highlights concerns regarding "monitoring of effects during construction and operation," specifically requesting monitoring of "air, water, soil and from blasting" for communities close by. Melgund’s demand for an independent, community-led environmental monitoring committee validates the Agency’s observation that current baseline data is insufficient for assessing impacts on proximate residents.
Gap in Security and Privatization Context
While the IAAC SOI includes a section on Security Risks and Safeguards, it focuses primarily on nuclear proliferation and "targeted malevolent acts" (terrorism). It does not explicitly capture Melgund’s specific concern regarding the "industrial fortress" aspect of private ownership—specifically the visual and social impact of high-fencing and armed security on a rural recreational landscape. However, Melgund’s critique of the NWMO’s "Geographic Misdirection" (focusing on Manitoba/USA borders rather than local impacts) is implicitly addressed in Annex A, which emphasizes the need to address concerns of those "proximate and downstream of the project." Melgund’s recommendation for a 20km radius assessment provides the specific geographic scope required to operationalize the Agency's concern for "nearby communities."
Key Claims
Underlying Assumptions
Critical Observations & Gaps
Analysis Table| Issue Identified | Implication | Information Required |
|---|---|---|
| Privatization of Crown Land | The transfer of Crown land to private NWMO ownership removes public assets from local use. | A detailed map of the proposed private boundaries and a policy on public/recreational access. |
| Lack of Baseline Data | The document relies on 'future modeling' to claim no impact, which is not the same as evidence. | Immediate release of current baseline environmental data for the Revell site area. |
| Geographic Misdirection | The focus on Manitoba and the USA borders ignores the immediate social impact on Melgund and Dyment. | An assessment of impacts within a 20km radius, focusing on noise, light, and visual pollution. |
Working Group Recommendations
Request a comprehensive inventory and mapping of current recreational and subsistence land use—including hunting, fishing, and established snowmobile/ATV trail networks—on the provincial Crown lands identified in the Proponent's submission for transfer to private ownership.
Demand the implementation of localized acoustic and vibration baseline monitoring within a 10km radius of the project site, specifically targeting the residential areas of Melgund and Dyment.
Challenge the Proponent to demonstrate 100% self-sufficiency for all emergency response requirements (fire, medical, and security) and assess the impact of project-related incidents on regional response times for Melgund residents.
Understanding the Impacts of Nuclear Waste on our Community
This digital archive houses the public comments submitted to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada regarding Project 88774: The Nuclear Waste Management Organization Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for Canada's Used Nuclear Fuel Project. The impact assessment is led jointly by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. This archive preserves community perspectives, concerns, and observations shared during the assessment process, particularly in relation to Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario and the communities of Dyment and Borups Corners who are the closest and most impacted of all in the process.