Small northwestern Ontario town considers if it's willing to house nuclear waste from across Canada
CBC
A small town in northwestern Ontario is facing a big question: How to determine whether people in the community want to host a site that would store nearly 5.5 million spent nuclear fuel bundles from across Canada.
The issue's been ongoing for years in Ignace, with a population of about 1,300, 250 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.
But now, it's one of two communities left in the search by Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to find a host community for its proposed deep geological repository.
Canada's nuclear electricity producers created the non-profit in 2002. It's responsible for coming up with a long-term management plan for Canada's used nuclear fuel.
The fuel bundles are about the size of a fire log, and each bundle holds about 20 kilograms of uranium. The final two sites for the proposed storage facility are in Ignace and South Bruce, about 100 kilometres from Kitchener.
A spokesperson for the NWMO said that unless the community is willing to host the site, the project won't go ahead. Organization officials have repeatedly said they welcome public discourse and debate, while promising a safe solution in line with international best practices.
Right now, a consultant is in the process of determining what criteria need to be met to prove the community does, in fact, support the project.
The entire process to gauge whether Ignace could be the site of the facility started a decade ago.
Within the last few years, drilling has taken place at six sites surrounding the community, some of which are halfway between Dryden, the closest major centre, about 100 kilometres away, and Ignace.
For many, the saga has dragged on, but it is nearing the finish line. A final decision is expected in about a year.
In the meantime, CBC News visited Ignace and nearby Dryden to talk to residents about the project and what they're looking to see from officials going forward.
"Ignace is the community that said, 'We want to be involved, we want to be an informed and willing host,'" said Brad Greaves, chair of the Ignace Community Nuclear Liaison Committee.
"But the actual engagement outside of our community is the [nuclear waste management organization's] responsibility."
The community liaison committee was established by the Township of Ignace as a go-between for townspeople and the local government. It's made up of people who live in the community and has representatives from nearby Wabigoon and Dryden.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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