Note: If you are seeing this page for the first time and the April 11 deadline has passed, feel free to write to the CNSC to tell them what you think, and copy your Member of Parliament.

On April 1 the Algonquins of Barriere Lake joined the Kebaowek Algonquins and numerous elected officials and civil society groups in calling for a halt to the licensing hearings for the giant Chalk River/Ottawa River nuclear waste dump .

Unfortunately, the requests are falling on deaf ears as Canada has a woefully inadequate nuclear governance system that leaves the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission free to steamroll ahead with licensing in defiance of common sense and the wishes of many Canadians and Indigenous communities. 

Please consider adding your voice to the many who are calling for a halt to the licensing of the giant, million tonne radioactive landfill, called NSDF by the proponent. You can “intervene” in the CNSC hearings that start on May 31 either by sending written comments or by making an oral presentation to the panel of the commision. Whether you choose to intervene with a written submission or an oral presentation, you need to apply by April 11.  It’s a simple process. See below for details.

How to intervene in the licensing hearings for the Chalk River/Ottawa River radioactive waste dump

The hearing is scheduled to start on May 31. It could possibly be an in-person hearing (in Pembroke) but intervening by zoom will be an option in any case.

Intervenors get 10 minutes to address the panel of CNSC commissioners.

You need to apply to intervene. The deadline to apply to intervene is April 11.

Here’s how to apply:

1. Send an email to interventions@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

2. Use the subject line: May 31 Public Commission Hearing – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Near Surface Disposal Facility

3. Include your name, address and phone number.

4.Specify how you would like to intervene, either in writing or in person at the hearing.  If by writing, include your written comments in or attached to your email. If you specify that you wish to intervene orally, during the hearings, you should provide a brief summary of what you would like to say in your email; (NB Update ~ CNSC is asking for more detail from oral intervenors. They are asking for a paragraph on each point that you with to cover in your oral intervention.) you will have an opportunity closer to the hearing to provide a slide deck if you wish to use one.

5. Please cc your Member of Parliament on your request to intervene.

There is a ton of substantive material on why the case to approve the giant dump makes no sense whatsoever. If you would like to help highlight some of this information in an oral intervention, please get in touch.

More info:

Call for intervenors ~ have your say on the Chalk River radioactive waste mound at the public hearings that start on May 31

Six Reasons to Stop the Ottawa River Radioactive Waste Dump

Critical Flaws, Errors and Omissions in CNSC staff’s case to approve the Chalk River Mound

Défauts, erreurs et omissions critiques dans le dossier d’approbation du monticule de Chalk River 

Nuclear regulator’s case to approve giant nuclear waste mound is fraught with serious errors and omissions, citizens’ groups say   

Selon des groupes de citoyens, les arguments de l’autorité de réglementation nucléaire en faveur de l’autorisation d’un gigantesque monticule de déchets nucléaires sont truffés d’erreurs et d’omissions graves

Photo below of the Ottawa River (Kitchissippi) taken on April 1, from Morrison Island Quebec looking north-west toward Chalk River.