Dear editor,
This letter is in response to the article “Conmee mulls resolution about nuclear waste” published on July 16, 2024.
Following my presentation to the Conmee Town Council on July 23, I wanted to take this opportunity to address some of the points raised and provide further clarification on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) work. The NWMO has always encouraged people to learn as much as they can about the potential deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel in northwestern Ontario.
And, once a site is selected, there will be many more learning opportunities through the mandatory multi-year regulatory review and approval process led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). This process is designed to ensure the project meets or exceeds strict regulatory criteria to protect the health, safety and security of people and the environment.
In seeking out information, it is always critical to validate the details. In reading the recent story referencing Conmee Township considering a non-binding resolution about the project, we have several concerns about details as presented in the story:
- To suggest that the north does not use nuclear power and therefore should not be obligated to accept the used nuclear fuel is not only inaccurate, it also misses the point that this project is not an obligation, but an enormous opportunity for growth in the northwest.
- Continuing to store used nuclear fuel near the source of production without the support of the First Nations and local community is not a long-term solution. We have a mandate to site a repository only if the host First Nation and municipality are willing and informed. In the northwest, those potential host communities are Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and we’ve been in discussions with them for more than a decade.
- There is international scientific consensus that used nuclear fuel should be disposed of in a deep geological repository, and this is the only recommended form of disposal accepted by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) guidance. This consensus is based on decades of peer-reviewed research, and the CNSC has been involved in independent research and assessment on the long-term management of used nuclear fuel in geological repositories for more than 45 years.
- Radioactive materials are routinely transported in Canada and around the world, and there are well established practices for ensuring it’s done safely. The track record of safety is extraordinary. But you don’t have to take our word for it – it’s also heavily regulated by the CNSC and Transport Canada, and the rules in place meet strict standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Layers of safety measures ensure the radioactive materials stay contained no matter what happens, even in the unlikely event of an extreme accident.
- Our current transportation plan anticipates, on average, 2 to 3 shipments a day to the site, approximately nine months of the year. Representing less than half a percent of total truck traffic, these shipments would have a negligible impact on northern highways.
- Ontario has one energy grid, and the northwest is connected to it. According to the Independent Electricity System Operator as stated in a recent news article, “Our grid spans the entire province and power generated in one part of the province can help keep the lights on in another part of the province.”
Joanne Jacyk, NWMO Site Director, Ignace
