Comment on the Initial Project Description for the NWMO Deep Geological Repository

As a lifetime resident of Northwestern Ontario, with friends and family including young nieces and nephews, throughout this region, I am writing to express my grave concerns about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s proposed deep geological repository for nuclear fuel waste which the NWMO is proposing to construct and operate between Ignace and Dryden in Northwestern Ontario.

In addition to my concerns about the project itself and the NWMO’s method of selecting the site and site selection, my comments here are on the Impact Assessment review process which began on January 5^th and the NWMO’s “initial project description”. 

The 30-day comment period is too short, especially since the project is expected to span approximately 160 years and will have impacts for generations. Many people who are concerned about this project, including the transportation of the radioactive waste to the site, will not have an opportunity to comment. The review process must allow for full public participation, and a 30-day comment period works against that.

The project description is leaves out critical information about the project, particularly transportation. Given the proposed amount of waste being transported over long distances and numerous communities and eco-systems we rely on, transportation cannot be an afterthought, especially on highways that already see terrifying numbers of accidents and collisions throughout the long winter months.

LONG-DISTANCE TRANSPORTATION MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT REVIEW. 

The NWMO also provides too little information about project activities, including those project activities that pose radiological risk for the workers and for residents in the area and downstream from the project site.  There needs to be more information about the Used Fuel Packaging Plant, how the wastes will be transferred into the underground and placed in the emplacement rooms, how the containers will be monitored after they are underground, and how they will be retrieved or repaired in the event of a container failing. 

THE NWMO MUST BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION. 

I am requesting that this project be the subject of a full impact assessment including a public hearing allowing those affected ample time to provide input, and that the Impact Assessment Agency ensure that the public is able to participate in a meaningful way through each step of the process. 

Thank you for considering my comments and concerns.

Donna Jeanpierre, Thunder Bay, Ontario