Manitouwadge Residents Learn More At NWMO Open Houses

Written by admin on 13 March 2013

Members of the Manitouwadge Outdoor Enthusiasts participate in Manitouwadge Open House tour guided by NWMO representatives. Photos OntarioNewsNorth.com

Left; A group from the Manitouwadge High School Grade 12 Geography Class with teacher April Robinson; on right members of the Manitouwadge Outdoors Enthusiasts, an example of the diversity of residents represented among those who visited the NWMO Open Houses in Manitouwadge March 5th and 6th, 2013. Photos OntarioNewsNorth.com

Grade 12 Student Kyle Campbell (seen here looking over examples of common sources of radiation) had many questions answered during his visit to the NWMO Open House in Manitouwadge; the NWMO Representatives, pleased to see young adults in attendance to learn more, commented positively in regards to the amount of research the students had done prior to visiting. Photos OntarioNewsNorth.com

MANITOUWADGE, ON – March 5th and 6th residents of Manitouwadge had the opportunity to learn more about Canada’s Plan for the long term management of used nuclear fuel, and the site selection process for a deep geological repository during two days of Open Houses held at the Rec Centre audtiorium. The NWMO was invited by the Township to host these sessions, providing information to all groups or individuals wanting to become more informed.

**PLEASE NOTE: If you did not have the opportunity to visit the open house or did so but would like to review what you saw, CLICK HERE for a virtual tour of the Open House which includes all the information that was made available including poster boards, video and all documentation as well as a form to request any additional information you require.

In addition to very detailed information regarding site selection for a deep geological repository, exhibits also included information about the cycle of nuclear fuel from mining uranium through to the dry storage used fuel is currently being held in, information about exposure to radioactive materials in day to day life, details of how a deep geological repository will be constructed, how used nuclear fuel is planned to be safely transported and much more. The people with whom OntarioNewsNorth.com Editor Karina Hunter spoke with at the Open Houses all agreed, regardless of their opinions in regards to long-term storage of used nuclear fuel, that the questions they had, including any new questions that arose from the new information they had learned, were clearly answered. Members of the public commented positively on the willingness of NWMO staff to explain things in as much details as was requested, to spend as much time as visitors wanted and/or needed to have their questions thouroughly answered, on the depth of information available and how clearly presented it was and the availability of the experts and scientists and their interest in questions presented when they were answering.

Visiting the Open Houses were residents of every age, including a Grade 12 Geography class from Manitouwadge High School which had extensively studied Canada’s Plan for the long term management of used nuclear fuel and the site selection process as part of a project which was wrapping up with the tour. The students visited the Open House with their teacher April Robinson, participating in the full guided tour of the Open House including video presentations and walk through of all the exhibits accompanied by NWMO staff who commented repeatedly on how well informed the students were and how impressive it was that their teacher had chosen to use Manitouwadge’s experience in the site selection process as a learning tool and an opportunity to engage them. In addition to the students other groups who visited the Open House included Mayor and Council, Emergency Services workers and representatives from the Manitouwadge Outdoor Enthusiasts.

Manitouwadge is currently involved in Phase 2 having completed the Initial Screening Process and continuing to determine if they will choose to continue. A group of representatives from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization attended the regular meeting of Council, January 9th, presenting the results of the initial screening of Manitouwadge and the Manitouwadge area, in regards to the potential to host a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel, based on readily-available information and five screening criteria, that there were no obvious conditions that would exclude the community from further consideration in the site selection process.(see links below for news report from January 9th presentation to council, full video of the meeting and post-meeting interview with a NWMO Senior Geoscientist following the presentation to council).

Though it is important to understand the site selection process is part of adaptive-phased management – with a stress on adaptive and the understanding that each community leads the direction it chooses to take if continuing to learn more; before Manitouwadge would continue in Phase 3 one of the things that must occur would be that Council pass a resolution in regards to requesting to continue in the Learn More process. Having said this that is not necessarily the next step Manitouwadge will take as there are many resources available including funding for a Community Visioning Exercise, which can be done prior to the community choosing to continue to Phase 3 of Learning More (or as they continue on into Phase 3 because it is up to the community to decide if/when certain steps are needed). Communities requesting feasibility studies are eligible to receive resources (funding and expertise) from the NWMO for capacity building and engagement to enable the community to learn about the project (the Open House was just one part of this), reflect on its interest, encourage local discussion and debate, and engage with the NWMO throughout feasibility studies.

Those people OntarioNewsNorth.com heard from at the Open House exit unilaterally agreed that, if they were to decide regarding continuing to Learn More, they would choose to do so. However, Council will have to measure the interest across the entire community and decide which resources available are used in determining if Learning More is the direction best suited for the community.

At this time, in addition to Manitouwadge, communities which passed the initial screening and are at various stages of Learning More are Wawa, White River, Hornepayne, Schreiber and Nipigon. The manner in which a community proceeds is a community decision and varies from one community to another, depending on what is most useful to the community because of this if you are a resident of any of these communities wanting to know specific details regarding where your community is at in the process you should contact the municipality or it’s Community Liason Group for full details.