Challenge the Proponent's methodology regarding the 'opportunistic identification of candidate Significant Wildlife Habitat (SWH)' alongside terrestrial ecosystem mapping, requesting a transition to systematic, dedicated SWH surveys.
Strategic Rationale
"The Proponent's submission explicitly states that SWH identification has been 'opportunistic' rather than systematic. For Melgund Township (Dyment/Borups Corners), where the local environment is the primary asset for residents and potential tourism, relying on chance observations during other mapping activities is an unacceptable risk. 'Opportunistic' methods are statistically likely to miss critical hibernation or maternity sites that are not immediately visible from standard transects. By demanding a systematic survey protocol now, the community ensures that the baseline data accurately reflects the ecological value of the land before any construction decisions are finalized. This improves the project's scientific rigour and prevents the destruction of habitat simply because it was not 'stumbled upon' during preliminary mapping."
Source Context
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.