In 2013, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines withdrew four blocks of land in the Ignace area from mineral exploration or development, reserving it for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s investigation of areas  the NWMO called “general potentially suitable areas” for the burial of high level nuclear waste. The four areas totaled 647 square kilometres. The NWMO investigation is now concentrated on the most western block, in the Revell Lake area.

The general area is located within the Nelson River Drainage Area, which drains into the NelsonRiver basin, and eventually into Hudson Bay in the Arctic watershed. The Revell Lake area is in the Wabigoon sub-basins, with water flowing north and west. The region is part of the Severn Uplands, featuring the broadly rolling surfaces of Canadian Shield bedrock that occupies most of northwestern Ontario, and is predominantly "Crown" land (provincially owned and controlled) and outside of protected areas. Access is area via an extensive network of logging roads from either the Trans-Canada Highway or Highway 622. Read more HERE

A gently rolling landscape, with an abundance of lakes, rivers, forests, wildlife and - perhaps above all else - beauty.

A public interest information project about nuclear waste burial in Canada.

Know Nuclear Waste 

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has now focused their investigation of potential burial sites for all of Canada's high level nuclear fuel waste on two remaining areas: the Revell Lake area, 45 kilometres west of Ignace, in northwestern Ontario, and an area just north of Teeswater in the Municiaplity of South Bruce in southwestern Ontario. 

Revell Lake area, northwestern Ontario

NWMO in Northwestern Ontario

Ignace was the first municipality to enter into the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's site investigation process, travelling to Toronto in November 2009 for meetings prior even to the launch of the siting process in May 2010. Ignace has continued to come "first" in other respects - the first municipality to move into Step 3 of the siting process while offering only areas outside their municipal boundaries, and the first municipality associated with a site to undergo exploratory drilling. 

The NWMO has produced numerous reports on their investigations in the Ignace area, including most recently of their exploration of the Revell Lake area, 45 kilometres west of Ignace, 

NWMO Reports related to their "Step Three, Phase 2" investigations in the Revell Lake area are HERE

NWMO's report summarizing their 2012-2019 investigations in northern Ontario is found HERE

NWMO reports which are available through the NWMO web site can be found HERE

NWMO's 2005 "Choosing a Way Forward" Final Report is found HERE

NWMO's 2010 "Process for Selecting a Site ..." is found HERE

NWMO's Community Liaison Committee in Ignace is found HERE