Advocates call for more input on northwest Ontario nuclear repository – Winnipeg

Winnipegger Anne Lindsey has been anti-nuclear for nearly 30 years. She first got involved with environmental activism in the 1970s when the Manitoba government tried to implement a nuclear repository in her province.

“People here were very upset about the notion that, possibly in Lac Du Bonnet, we could have a huge nuclear waste repository” she said.

Lindsey says the province heard their concerns, and eventually passed The High-Level Radioactive Waste Act, which prohibits the long-term storage of nuclear waste in Manitoba.

Today, she’s still advocating as part the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition. Although Lindsey’s proud to see her community remain nuclear-free, she fears a project like the one she fought against decades ago threatens the provinces environment.

The proposed nuclear waste repository is based in an area near Ignace Ontario, and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), a group funded by the producers of nuclear energy in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick, was mandated by the Canadian government to safely contain nuclear waste from those three provinces inside underground repository’s that are expected to sit more than 500 meters underground.

Using a multiple barrier system, used fuel pellets would be stored in larger bundles which would then be grouped together with others, and stored inside a copper coated steel container. These would then be stored together underground in dry rooms surrounded by rock.

The NWMO is projecting between 5.7 and 6.4 million bundles will be placed underground.

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Finding a home for Canada’s nuclear waste

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Lindsey is firmly against the project. She believes it is a risk to her province, because the proposed site is surrounded by waters that flows west down the English-Wabigoon River system into the Winnipeg River, and eventually Lake Winnipeg.

Although she is not surprised to see a project like this proposed again, Lindsey is dismayed by the lack of choice presented to nearby communities.

“They didn’t come and ask Winnipeg, they didn’t ask Manitoba, they didn’t ask Kenora, they didn’t ask Dryden, they didn’t ask the communities on the transportation route,” Lindsey said.

So far, the town of Ignace, Man., is the only community that has expressed a willingness to host the site after a public online survey was used to determine the vote.

After a referendum, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation said the vote, “does not signify approval of the project; rather, it demonstrates the Nation’s willingness to enter the next phase of in-depth environmental and technical assessments, to determine safety and site suitability,”.

Ignace town council spokesperson Jake Pastore believes there is strong support for the project in the community. He says the town’s survey shows there is concrete support for the project in Ignace.

Thanks to the NWMO’s efforts, Pastore says town and council are now confident having the repository close to their community. He says the NWMO ran informational sessions, set up a learning centre, and brought in experts and consultants to go door to door to help residents understand the science and make an informed decision.

“There is no question” he said. “The science, the economic benefits that were going to be derived from this project. It’s a $26-billion project. I don’t think there is any municipality in all of Canada that would just say, ‘No, we’re not interested’ […] there’s a lot that has contributed to this educational process.”

Pastore expects the project to create a prosperous future Ignace. The community has a rich mining and forestry history, something he believes sets the NWMO and town up for success. Since the first nuclear waste shipment is expected to arrive in 2043, he says the project is being created for future generations.

Although Pastore feels the town’s experience with the local natural resource industry has been a motivator to bring in the NWMO’s project, other communities view this history as a reason to avoid the project altogether.

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In the 1970s, nearby Grassy Narrows First Nation discovered its water had been contaminated with mercury from the Dryden Chemicals Pulp and paper mill upstream. Nearly 9,000 kg of mercury had been dumped into the English River. Today, residents are still calling for Ottawa to do more to bring clean drinking water to the community.

First Nations Land Defence Alliance chairman Rudy Turtle is a former Grassy Narrows First Nation chief. As his community continues to deal with the ongoing crisis, he says members are not ready for more toxic material to be stored close to home. He’s worried about the region’s future.

“I’ve always thought about generations down the road.” he said

“I’m sure nothing will happen for the first 40  or 50 years down the road. But eventually things do age, things do crack. I believe we should be looking way ahead so there is a clean environment for our great-grandchildren to live in.”

In the short term, Turtle says he is also concerned about potential transportation issues, as well as the ability and willingness of regulators to hold companies like the NWMO to a high standard.

Although there have been information sessions in other communities, Turtle says many are still not as well informed as they could be.