Section Synopsis
Pages: 19-26This document outlines the physical infrastructure and activity phases for the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) at the Revell Site. It details a 340-hectare surface footprint including a Used Fuel Packaging Plant, three access shafts, and various support facilities like a rail spur, rock management areas, and an accommodation camp. The project lifecycle spans approximately 170 years, including a 10-year construction phase, 60 years of operation, and a century of post-closure monitoring. Notably, the NWMO asserts that the transportation of nuclear waste on existing public infrastructure is outside the scope of the Impact Assessment.
Community Assessment Narrative
The NWMO’s description of the Revell Site infrastructure is a masterclass in 'corporate minimization.' While they cite a 340-hectare footprint, this figure ignores the massive 'zone of influence' that a project of this scale will have on Melgund Township. For those of us in Dyment and Borups Corners, the mention of 'preliminary work branching off Dyment Road' is an immediate red flag. What they call 'preliminary' is the beginning of the end for our quiet, rural lifestyle. The document uses glossy terms like 'safeguard' and 'collaboratively' to mask the reality of living next to a 60-year construction site complete with rock crushers, concrete plants, and explosives magazines. The claim that transportation of nuclear waste on Highway 17 is 'outside the Project’s scope' is an insulting technicality designed to dodge accountability for the very thing that worries residents most: the risks of moving high-level waste through our backyard.
Impacts on Local Recreation: The proposed site and its 'Protected Area' represent a permanent seizure of land that has been used by Melgund residents for generations. The construction of a rail spur and new access roads will sever established snowmobile and ATV trails that connect Dyment to the broader regional network. For local hunters and trappers, the 340-hectare fenced perimeter—and the much larger noise-impacted buffer zone—effectively kills the harvest potential of the Revell area. Furthermore, the 'acoustic environment' of the Dyment Recreation Hall, a cornerstone of our community life, will be shattered by the constant drone of the rock crusher and the heavy machinery listed in Table 10.1. The NWMO mentions working with 'Knowledge holders,' but they seem to ignore the local recreational knowledge of families who have camped and fished these waters long before the DGR was a concept.
Corrective Measures & Recommendations
The NWMO must immediately revise the scope of the Impact Assessment to include the cumulative effects of nuclear waste transportation on Highway 17 and regional rail lines. It is unacceptable to suggest that the primary risk factor of the project is 'outside the scope' simply because it occurs on public infrastructure. Melgund residents deserve a full risk analysis of transport accidents and the resulting stigma on local property values and tourism.
Additionally, the proponent must establish a formal 'Melgund Community Mitigation Fund' specifically to address the loss of recreational land and the degradation of the Dyment Recreation Hall's environment. This should include the creation of new, permanent ATV and snowmobile trail bypasses that are legally protected from future industrial expansion, and a commitment to 'blackout' periods for heavy machinery and blasting during peak community events and traditional hunting seasons.
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 primary concern regarding the exclusion of off-site transportation from the project scope is strongly validated by the IAAC Summary of Issues (SOI). Under the "Transportation" theme, the Agency explicitly identifies "Transportation in scope of impact assessment" as a key issue, reflecting community pushback against the NWMO’s attempt to categorize public infrastructure usage as "outside the scope." Melgund’s specific demand for a traffic and safety study for the Highway 17 corridor through Dyment aligns directly with the IAAC’s flagged concerns regarding "Transportation service and infrastructure preparedness and demand" and "Accidents during transportation of waste." Furthermore, the community’s concern regarding the "stigma" on property values is mirrored in the SOI under "Economic impact on property value" and "Economic impacts from public perception," confirming that the Agency recognizes the socio-economic risks of nuclear transport even in the absence of a physical accident.
There is also significant alignment regarding the localized environmental and social disruptions in Melgund. The Township’s observations about noise and dust from "temporary" industrial facilities (like the rock crusher and concrete plant) are supported by the IAAC’s inclusion of "Human Health and Well-Being" (specifically noise) and the "Monitoring of effects during construction and operation" section in Annex A, which specifically mentions the need for monitoring impacts from blasting. Melgund’s critique of the "vagueness of the conceptual site plan" finds a parallel in the IAAC’s Annex A, where the Agency notes concerns regarding the "adequacy, clarity, and transparency of the Project Description" and how uncertainty is characterized. This suggests that both the community and the Agency find the proponent’s current level of detail insufficient for a binding impact assessment.
A notable gap exists where Melgund Township has proposed specific, localized mitigation strategies that the IAAC SOI touches upon only in broad terms. While the SOI mentions "Socio-economic impacts to land use" (including recreation and tourism), Melgund provides concrete requirements such as the creation of a "Melgund Community Mitigation Fund," the establishment of legally protected ATV and snowmobile trail bypasses, and "blackout periods" for heavy machinery during community events. These recommendations serve as specific community-led solutions to the broader issues of "Social cohesion and community wellbeing" identified by the IAAC. The Township’s findings effectively "fill in the blanks" of the IAAC’s high-level concerns by identifying exactly which local assets—such as the Dyment Recreation Hall—are at risk.
Key Claims
Underlying Assumptions
Critical Observations & Gaps
Analysis Table| Issue Identified | Implication | Information Required |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusion of transportation-related effects from the project scope. | By excluding off-site transportation from the IA, the NWMO avoids responsibility for traffic congestion, road wear, and emergency response costs in Melgund. | A comprehensive traffic and safety study for the Highway 17 corridor through Dyment. |
| Long-term noise and air quality impacts from 'temporary' industrial facilities. | The 'temporary' rock crusher and concrete plant will create decades of noise and dust pollution for residents within 10km. | Specific decibel-level projections and dust mitigation plans for the Melgund Township area. |
| Vagueness of the conceptual site plan. | A 'conceptual' plan that is 'subject to change' makes it impossible for the community to know exactly where the most disruptive facilities will be located. | Binding site layouts that cannot be moved closer to residential areas without a new assessment. |
Working Group Recommendations
Challenge the Proponent to demonstrate 100% on-site self-sufficiency for the 'Emergency response building(s)', 'Explosives magazine', and 'Diesel and propane tanks' listed in Table 10.1.
Formally contest the exclusion of transportation activities on existing highways from the Project's scope, as stated in Section 10.3, and demand the inclusion of Highway 17 accident scenarios as a Valued Component.
Request a specific baseline condition assessment and maintenance agreement for 'Dyment Road', identified in Section 10.1 as a location for preliminary work and tree harvesting operations.
Request detailed effluent criteria, discharge locations, and failure modeling for the 'Domestic sewage treatment plant', 'Process water settling pond', and 'Discharge pipeline' listed in Table 10.1.
Assess the security and policing plans for the 'Accommodation camp' listed in Table 10.1, specifically regarding the management of the transient workforce in an area with no local police presence.
Request specific noise, vibration, and dust dispersion modelling for the 'Temporary rock crusher' and 'Temporary concrete batch plant' listed in Table 10.1.
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.