IGNACE – As a community vote on nuclear-waste concluded, residents of this Northwest municipality were talking about the deep geological repository’s other potential host municipality.
The Municipality of South Bruce, in southwestern Ontario near Lake Huron, on Monday published the hosting agreement it negotiated with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.
The South Bruce agreement promises far more for that municipality than Ignace would receive if it is selected to host repository operations.
If the South Bruce site is selected for the proposed underground waste storage facility, the municipality would receive about $418 million over the project’s 138-year life, according to documents released by South Bruce.
The comparison figure for Ignace is approximately $170 million.
Reaction on social media included Ignace residents saying the divergent figures make Ignace look either foolish or an attractive bargain.
NWMO regional spokesperson Vince Ponka said there’s more nuance to the situation.
“The thing to realize is that South Bruce has triple the population and approximately triple the geographical size,” he told Dougall Media in an interview Wednesday.
In fact, the population disparity is even greater: almost 5,900 in South Bruce in 2021 versus 1,200 in Ignace, according to Canada’s most recent census.
So, said Ponka, “if you break down that agreement on a per capita basis, Ignace actually fares much, much better than South Bruce.”
Another important difference is that the southwest site being considered is entirely within the boundaries of South Bruce, he said.
The Ignace-area site is, by contrast, well outside the township’s boundaries.
“The hosting agreement was negotiated between the NWMO and Ignace to meet the demands that (Ignace) saw that they would require to host this facility, to meet the infrastructure needs that Ignace would require,” Ponka said.
Ignace Mayor Kim Baigrie also noted that her township would be getting more money on a per capita basis.
“I’ve always said you can’t compare the communities because everyone has a different scenario, and we do have a different scenario than South Bruce,” she said Tuesday in Ignace as a five-day community vote on hosting the repository was drawing to a close.
The Revell site west of Ignace and the South Bruce location are the two finalists in site selection for a nuclear waste repository to be constructed hundreds of metres below ground level.
Both municipalities must communicate their continued willingness to be host communities to the NWMO before a site is chosen.
If South Bruce voters decide in a referendum on Oct. 28 that they are not willing to continue as a potential host community, the industry-funded NWMO would remit a $4-million “exit payment” to the municipality.
If the Township of Ignace declares itself not willing, the exit payment would be $5 million.
If South Bruce is willing but not selected, it is to receive $8 million; Ignace would receive the same amount if willing but not selected.
In addition to the municipalities, nearby First Nations must be willing to participate in order for a site to be selected.
For the Revell Lake site, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation must express willingness. The potential First Nations partner for the South Bruce site is Saugeen Ojibway Nation.
The NWMO has committed to selecting a site by December 31, 2024.
Construction is projected to begin around 2034 and take about 10 years to complete, Ponka said.
