Northern Ontario town winning bid for nuclear waste repository a ‘historic step’: Clarington mayor

A northern Ontario town and the nearby First Nations has been chosen as the site to hold Canada’s nuclear waste in a deep geological repository, with the chair of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities (CANHN) calling the decision an “historic step together.”

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced its decision Thursday, saying the people of both the town of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation have demonstrated their willingness to move forward.

The process to select a site for the $26-billion project began in 2010 with 22 potential locations and was eventually narrowed down to two finalists in Ontario.

The organization said it had selected Ignace after both the municipality and Wabigoon Lake FN decided to move ahead with the project.

The other finalist was a site encompassing the Municipality of South Bruce and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, near Owen Sound and the Bruce Nuclear plant.

“The community-driven, consent-based process showcases the power of strong community engagement. This is how proud host communities are made,” said CANHC Chair and Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster. “This milestone marks a significant leap towards responsibly managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel for the long term. As a society that benefits from clean, reliable nuclear energy, we must be accountable for every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle.”

Foster said a deep geological repository is a globally accepted solution for safely managing used nuclear fuel. “Future generations deserve a permanent site beyond interim storage at generating stations.”

The Clarington Mayor added there is still “significant work” ahead in navigating the regulatory process and digging the repository for what he called a “transformative” project.

The NWMO has estimated that regulatory approvals will take about 10 years, construction will take about 10 years, and the used fuel will be loaded in over a period of about 50 to 60 years.

Dr. Chris Keefer, the President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, said his preference for the site was South Bruce because it is “closer to where the spent fuel is” and would result in lower transportation costs. “But truly a landmark decision and the product of decades of hard work and best in class social license building.”