Concerns about nuclear fuel DGR in Treaty #3

I am writing to express my concern 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, treaty #3 territory.
I live and raise my son in Sioux Lookout. We are members of Lac Seul First Nation. I am an artist, hide tanner, chef, and cultural educator. This project makes me very nervous for the land and animals that have sustained the Anishinaabeg for thousands of years, and for the people that call this area home. 

I have many concerns about the project, the NWMO’s method of selecting the site, and the unprecedented nature of the NWMO’s proposed Deep Geological Repository.  

The draft guidelines leave out many important issues and do not require enough information about the NWMO’s project, the many different components and activities that are part of the project, or the potential for negative effects. 

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

The draft guidelines require information about local transportation but would allow the NWMO to update a 2021 “Preliminary Transportation Plan” instead of providing a detailed description of their transportation program as part of the impact statement. Transportation of the wastes is part of the project and the impact statement must include a detailed description. 
In the winter months the highway that would be used, if transported by road, is often closed due to motor vehicle collisions. The distance between the start location and destination is so vast and travels through many communities. Free, prior, and informed consent from all the First Nation communities along the route must be obtained.

The draft guidelines do not require enough information about the project activities. For example, the guidelines must require a detailed description of 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. Releases to air and water at all stages of the project must be described, as well as their potential for harming humans and the environment.

I request that the impact statement guidelines be strengthened to require a detailed description of the NWMO’s project and its activities and components. 

Thorough exploration of alternative storage projects must be included in the impact assessment. I request long-term secure storage options at the reactor site or within close distance to them be examined in comprehensive detail.

In closing, I do not support the DGR site in Treaty #3 territory.

Thank you for considering my comments and concerns.