Section Synopsis
Pages: 17-18The NWMO outlines its commitment to the federal Strategic Assessment of Climate Change, stating that the Project will prioritize electricity from the Ontario grid and utilize best available technologies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. It concludes that no other strategic assessments are currently required based on public information.
Community Assessment Narrative
This section is a prime example of corporate boilerplate designed to check a regulatory box while offering zero substance to the people living in the shadow of the Revell site. The NWMO uses 'glossy' generalizations like 'best available technologies' and 'environmental practices' without defining what those look like for a project of this unprecedented scale. For those of us in Melgund and Borups Corners, these are empty promises. The claim that most energy will come from the Ontario grid conveniently ignores the massive infrastructure—new transmission lines and substations—that will likely carve through our landscape, creating permanent visual scars and noise that the document fails to mention. By labeling this a 'Plain Language Summary,' they have stripped away the technical accountability we need to see.
Impacts on Local Recreation: The proximity of the Revell site to Melgund means that any 'strategic' energy infrastructure or construction activity will directly collide with our way of life. The document is silent on how the clearing for power lines or the increased industrial footprint will sever established snowmobile and ATV trails that are the lifeblood of our winter and shoulder seasons. There is a high risk that increased workforce populations will overtax local 'secret' fishing spots and hunting grounds, leading to competition for resources that residents have managed sustainably for generations. Furthermore, the peace and quiet that makes the Dyment Recreation Hall a community pillar is threatened by the constant hum of 'best available' industrial machinery and the inevitable surge in heavy vehicle traffic on Highway 17, which is already a safety concern for locals.
Corrective Measures & Recommendations
The NWMO must provide a localized energy infrastructure map that explicitly shows where new transmission lines will be routed in relation to Melgund Township and existing recreational trails. We demand a formal 'Recreation and Access Agreement' that guarantees the maintenance of all existing ATV and snowmobile paths, or provides immediate, high-quality diversions if the Revell site footprint interferes with current routes. Generalizations about climate change are not enough; we need to know how the local micro-climate and acoustic environment will be protected.
Furthermore, the proponent should fund a dedicated community liaison officer for Melgund and Dyment to monitor noise and traffic levels in real-time. This should include a 'Community Benefit Fund' specifically for the Dyment Recreation Hall to offset the loss of quiet enjoyment and to ensure the facility can handle the potential influx of temporary workers or the increased logistical burden placed on our small community infrastructure.
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)
Melgund Township’s concerns regarding physical infrastructure and property values show strong alignment with the IAAC Summary of Issues (SOI). Specifically, the community’s observation regarding the lack of detail on utility corridors and their potential to lower property values in Borups Corners and Dyment is directly supported by the SOI section on Socio-Economic Conditions, which flags "Economic impact on property value" and "Socio-economic impacts to land use" as key concerns. The Township’s demand for a localized energy infrastructure map validates the IAAC’s requirement for the proponent to address how project activities may impact local properties and rural character.
There is also significant alignment regarding the "carrying capacity" of small communities. Melgund’s concerns about the logistical burden on the Dyment Recreation Hall and the influx of temporary workers are mirrored in the SOI under Infrastructure and Services, specifically the "Effects of temporary workers on services and infrastructure." The Township’s recommendation for a dedicated community liaison officer and a "Community Benefit Fund" provides a concrete mitigation strategy for the broader issue identified by the IAAC regarding the "Distribution of economic benefits for all regional communities," particularly for those like Melgund that are outside the primary hosting agreement areas.
A notable gap exists regarding the depth of environmental standards and strategic oversight. While the IAAC SOI mentions "Monitoring of effects during construction" in Annex A, Melgund Township’s analysis goes further by identifying a "vague commitment" to technology standards. The community specifically identifies the need for local noise and emission thresholds tailored to a quiet, rural baseline, rather than general "best available technologies." Furthermore, while the NWMO dismissed the need for further strategic assessments, Melgund’s call for a Regional Strategic Assessment to evaluate social carrying capacity suggests the community finds the current scope of the IAAC’s "Cumulative environmental effects" section insufficient to capture the unique social pressures on small municipalities.
Finally, the Township’s demand for a formal "Recreation and Access Agreement" to protect ATV and snowmobile paths aligns perfectly with the SOI’s focus on Socio-economic impacts to land use, which explicitly mentions the need for information on how the project affects recreation and existing roads. Melgund’s findings provide the specific local context—naming specific trails and community hubs—that supports the IAAC’s broader mandate to investigate impacts on the region’s land use and access.
Key Claims
Underlying Assumptions
Critical Observations & Gaps
Analysis Table| Issue Identified | Implication | Information Required |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of detail on the physical infrastructure required to deliver electricity to the site. | New power lines or substations could lower property values and alter the rural character of Melgund. | A detailed map of proposed utility corridors and their proximity to residential areas in Borups Corners and Dyment. |
| Vague commitment to technology standards without specific local thresholds. | The 'best available technologies' might still result in significant local noise and air quality degradation during the decades-long construction phase. | Specific noise and emission targets tailored to the quiet, rural baseline of the Melgund area. |
| Dismissal of further strategic assessments. | The NWMO's conclusion that no other assessments are needed ignores the social and cumulative impacts on small, nearby communities. | A Regional Strategic Assessment that specifically looks at the social 'carrying capacity' of Melgund and Ignace. |
Working Group Recommendations
Challenge the Proponent's assertion that 'no other applicable strategic assessments are required' by formally requesting the inclusion of a 'Community Well-being and Social Carrying Capacity' assessment as a specific Valued Component.
Request specific, quantifiable performance metrics for the 'best available technologies' proposed to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions and associated atmospheric pollutants.
Request a detailed infrastructure assessment outlining the specific transmission line corridors and substation locations required to connect the Revell site to the Ontario electricity grid.
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.