Environmental organizations weigh in on nuclear waste map project
Cathy Fox & Deborah Powell
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
Published in the Pontiac Journal on April 9, 2025.
OTTAWA — Ottawa Riverkeeper has been contracted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Environment Canada (ECCC) to gather feedback on an interactive map that forms part of the Regional Information and Monitoring Network (RIMNet). The initiative, launched in response to public concern over environmental monitoring in the Ottawa River watershed, aims to improve information sharing, document the environmental aspects of nuclear facilities and activities, and build trust with Indigenous communities and the public.
According to the government website, the project will also help CNSC and ECCC integrate existing data and, with consent, include Indigenous knowledge.
The first of two Zoom workshops, held March 18 and 25, began with presentations by environmental advocates. Ole Hendrickson of Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County outlined the history of nuclear weapons and power development along the Ottawa River, recommending the CBC GEM documentary Atomic Reaction for further context. He highlighted areas marked A through J on the map that are currently used for nuclear waste storage.
Brennian Lloyd from Northwatch presented “Burying Uncertainty, Transporting Risks, Trafficking Trouble—How Does it Look for the Ottawa Valley?” She focused on Canada’s Adaptive Phased Management (APM) approach, which calls for isolating used nuclear fuel in deep geological repositories. Lloyd raised concerns about the lack of detail on how waste would be extracted and transported, and the absence of testing related to transport safety, especially for first responders. She noted Canada’s 2020 Emergency Responders Guidebook claims minimal risk without offering a technical basis.
Roseanne van Shie, a member of the Kebaowek First Nation’s environmental consultation team, expressed disappointment that previous concerns raised by Indigenous groups remain unaddressed, despite being invited to participate in the project.
The second workshop, led by ECCC representatives, included an overview of project goals and a hands-on demonstration of the RIMNet interactive map. This first phase of the project focuses on compiling data on current and proposed nuclear facilities within the watershed to improve public understanding, build trust, and promote transparency in environmental reviews.
Participants were invited to suggest ways to improve the map’s accessibility and usefulness. Suggestions included ensuring the data reflects cultural, health, and environmental concerns; adding monitoring sites to better trace water flow impacts; linking to studies on pollutants; providing threshold guidelines; and including a simple legend and downloadable resources.
While designed to support transparency and public understanding, organizers clarified the map is not intended to serve as an active monitoring or regulatory tool.
The workshops provided a framework for continued work in phase one of the three-phase project. ECCC plans to host another public consultation to gather feedback on site improvements before moving to the next phase. A report on phase one is available at open.canada.ca.
