Revell River Action Draws Attention to Nuclear Waste Burial Site

Residents concerned about a site near the Revell River being put on the receiving end of all of Canada’s high level radioactive waste have set up a pop-up event at the Ministry of Transportation’s Revell River picnic area, drawing attention to the project and the threat it will pose to the region and the watersheds in Northwestern Ontario.

The MTO picnic area, approximately 40 km west of Ignace, is approximately 2 km from the nearest of six drill sites that the Nuclear Waste Management Organization has disclosed.

“These drill sites are at the height of land between the English River – Wabigoon River system and the Turtle River Lake of the Woods system” explained Charles Faust, a volunteer with the group who has studied the area watersheds and waterflow.

“One of the many concerns we have with this project is its potential to impact the downstream areas. The NWMO can point to their computer models and their wishful thinking, but the reality is that this project carries a lot of risk, both during its operation and for the thousands of years afterwards that the radioactive wastes remain highly hazardous.

Local residents  think that most people in Northwestern Ontario don’t know the details or the risks of the NWMO project, and are unaware of how it could impact them, both before and after the waste is buried in the Revell River area.

“The drill sites are just a couple of kilometres off the highway – just a few kilometres from where we’re standing now at the Revell River picnic area – and most people are unaware of it. The NWMO spends a lot of money promoting their project in a very glossy magazine manner, but have done nothing in terms of signage for the drill sites or alerting people to where they are actually investigating their candidate sites”, commented Brien Polek, a resident of Dryden.

In addition to signage on the highway drawing attention to the drill sites and the nuclear waste project, the group setting up the pop-up event today today at the Revell River picnic area will provide information to the public from noon until 4 pm. Similar to the information events in Ignace on August 14 and at the Dyment Hall on August 16, the group is encouraging the public to stop by the outdoors events, which they say will be all about information sharing, conversation, and discussion of the NWMO’s project and important concerns.

Volunteers from across the region will be on hand to discuss environmental and social concerns with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s plan to construct a deep geological repository for all of Canada’s high level radioactive Waste. Those wanting more information in advance about the alliance’s independent critiques of nuclear waste burial and transportation, or any interested in arranging a small meeting (following COVID-19 health directives) are encouraged visit the We the Nuclear Free North website at wethenuclearfreenorth.ca