Section Synopsis
Pages: 41-47The document outlines the socio-economic, health, and land-use baseline for the Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project near the Revell site. It highlights that while regional health outcomes (chronic disease, mental health) are currently below provincial averages and infrastructure in unincorporated areas like Melgund is minimal, the NWMO predicts largely positive economic impacts. The report acknowledges the project's location on Crown land used for trapping, snowmobiling, and hunting, but characterizes the site-specific impact as minimal. It relies heavily on the Ignace Hosting Agreement and studies centered on Ignace to suggest community well-being will be enhanced through proactive planning and investment.
Community Assessment Narrative
As residents of Melgund Township, living less than 10km from the proposed Revell site, this summary feels like it was written for a boardroom in Toronto rather than the people who will actually see the dust and hear the blasts. The document is thick with 'corporate speak,' repeatedly asserting that impacts will be 'positive' or 'low risk' without providing the data to back it up for those of us outside the Ignace tax base. It mentions the 'wealth of available baseline studies,' yet admits that Indigenous data is missing and that unincorporated communities like Melgund and Dyment have 'minimal' services. This creates a glaring contradiction: how can the NWMO claim the assessment is 'sufficiently advanced' when the very people living closest to the site—who rely on private wells and have no municipal fire or waste services—are treated as an afterthought in a regional profile dominated by Ignace and Dryden.
The text uses 'marketing fluff' to gloss over the reality of our daily lives. For instance, describing the Revell site as having 'minimal land and resource use' is a direct insult to the locals who have used those 'unofficial' trails and hunting grounds for generations. The NWMO seems to think that if a trail isn't on a government map, it doesn't exist. Furthermore, the focus on the Ignace Hosting Agreement suggests that the 'positive outcomes' are bought and paid for in Ignace, while Melgund is left with the 'stigma' and the traffic. We are the ones who will deal with the heavy machinery on our roads and the potential contamination of our private wells, yet the document focuses on Ignace's sewage plant upgrades.
Impacts on Local Recreation: The proposed project poses a direct threat to the quiet, rugged lifestyle that defines Melgund and Dyment. The document admits the site overlaps with OFSC District 17 snowmobile trails and 'unofficial' ATV paths, yet dismisses the impact as 'minimal.' For us, these aren't just paths; they are the primary way we access the bush for hunting and fishing. The influx of a temporary workforce and increased industrial noise will inevitably drive game away from traditional hunting grounds and destroy the 'acoustic environment' we value. There is also no mention of how the increased traffic and 'nuclear' stigma will affect the usage of the Dyment Recreation Hall, which serves as our only local social hub. If our backyard becomes a high-security industrial zone, the camping, berry picking, and sense of freedom we enjoy at the Revell site and surrounding Crown lands will be permanently lost, regardless of how many 'positive' economic charts the NWMO produces.
Corrective Measures & Recommendations
The NWMO must move beyond 'Ignace-centric' planning and establish a formal Melgund-Dyment Mitigation and Benefit Agreement. Since we are the closest residents to the Revell site and lack municipal infrastructure, the proponent should fund a dedicated emergency response sub-station in Melgund, equipped to handle both industrial accidents and community medical emergencies, rather than assuming we can rely on over-capacity services in Ignace or Dryden. This would address the 'service gaps' mentioned in the text while providing a tangible safety net for those of us in the immediate impact zone.
Secondly, the NWMO must conduct a granular 'Local Access Study' that maps every 'unofficial' trail, hunting blind, and fishing spot within 10km of the site boundary. Instead of dismissing these as 'minimal use,' the proponent should commit to 'no-net-loss' of recreational access by constructing new, permanent trail bypasses and guaranteed access points to surrounding Crown lands. They must also provide direct funding to the Dyment Recreation Hall to ensure it can remain a viable community center amidst the social shifts and potential population influx the project will bring.
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)
The community findings from Melgund Township show a high degree of alignment with the "IAAC Summary of Issues" (SOI), particularly regarding the inequitable distribution of benefits and the strain on rural infrastructure. Melgund’s primary concern—that the "Ignace Hosting Agreement" leaves unincorporated neighbors out of formal wealth-sharing—is directly validated by the IAAC under the Socio-Economic Conditions theme. Specifically, the SOI identifies "Distribution of economic benefits for all regional communities" as a key issue, explicitly noting concerns that benefits may not be shared with communities "outside hosting agreement areas." Melgund’s call for a formal "Melgund-Dyment Mitigation and Benefit Agreement" provides a concrete local requirement that supports this broader federal concern.
There is also strong alignment regarding emergency services and health infrastructure. Melgund’s observation that the Mary Berglund Community Health Centre is at capacity and requires expansion—rather than mere monitoring—is reflected in the IAAC’s Infrastructure and Services and Emergency Preparedness sections. The IAAC flags the "ability of local services and infrastructure to respond to potential emergencies" and the need for "adequate development, funding, and communication... in rural settings." Melgund’s specific recommendation for a dedicated emergency response sub-station in the township serves as a localized evidence-based solution to the "service gaps" the IAAC has identified as a federal priority.
Regarding environmental and land-use impacts, Melgund’s findings identify a critical gap in the proponent’s current characterization of the site. While the IAAC SOI lists "Socio-economic impacts to land use" (including recreation and hunting) and "Radiological contamination of water" (including drinking water) as key issues, Melgund provides the necessary granular detail to validate these concerns. The township’s focus on "informal" land use (ATV and snowmobile trails) and the vulnerability of private wells—which lack the backup systems of municipal grids in Ignace or Dryden—highlights specific risks that the IAAC’s broader categories of "local drinking water sources" and "recreation" must address. Melgund’s demand for a "Local Access Study" and a "baseline groundwater protection plan" for private wells directly supports the IAAC’s requirement for the proponent to address "uncertainties about... effects to local drinking water sources."
Key Claims
Underlying Assumptions
Critical Observations & Gaps
Analysis Table| Issue Identified | Implication | Information Required |
|---|---|---|
| The 'Ignace Hosting Agreement' is the primary vehicle for benefits, leaving unincorporated neighbors out of the formal wealth-sharing structure. | Melgund and Dyment may bear the brunt of the project's physical presence without receiving the financial benefits allocated to incorporated municipalities. | A specific socio-economic impact and benefit study for unincorporated communities within 10km of the site. |
| The document notes Melgund relies on private water/waste but offers no specific mitigation for these vulnerable systems. | Local residents relying on private wells have no backup if groundwater is impacted, unlike Ignace or Dryden which have municipal systems. | A baseline groundwater protection plan specifically for private wells in the Melgund/Dyment area. |
| The NWMO characterizes site land use as 'minimal' despite acknowledging local ATV and snowmobile use. | The 'unofficial' nature of local recreation means it is likely to be ignored in formal mitigation planning. | A comprehensive mapping of local 'informal' land use and a commitment to maintaining access. |
| The Mary Berglund Community Health Centre is at capacity and lacks expansion space, yet the project will bring in more people. | The project could overwhelm the already 'near capacity' health services in the region. | A concrete plan for health service expansion that doesn't just 'monitor' the situation but builds capacity before construction starts. |
Working Group Recommendations
Challenge the Proponent to demonstrate 100% self-sufficiency for emergency response (fire, medical, and security) at the Revell site and provide a dedicated emergency response sub-station in Melgund.
Request a localized hydrogeological baseline and monitoring program specifically for private residential wells within a 10km radius of the Revell site, including pre-construction chemical and radiological characterization.
Demand the inclusion of 'Informal Recreational and Subsistence Land Use' as a specific Valued Component (VC), requiring the mapping of all 'unofficial' trails, hunting blinds, and gathering areas used by Melgund residents.
Require a 'Health Service Capacity Mitigation Plan' that funds the expansion of the Mary Berglund Community Health Centre and regional hubs prior to the start of the construction phase.
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.