NWMO IPD - Insufficient Notification for Public to Comment

To Whom It May Concern:

A Dryden Resident, I wish to comment on the lack of attention given in notifying the public in Northwestern Ontario in good faith and in good time, for people to be given a fair opportunity to study and plan for attending an information session hosted by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) as well as to make Comments regarding the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) Initial Project Description (IPD) to the IAAC in the 30 days available to the public during the Planning phase of NWMO's Adaptive Phased Management (APM) plan.

The importance of being able to make comments about NWMO's IPD at this time, and to participate fully when future opportunities arise, is VASTLY IMPORTANT to all those who live in Northwestern Ontario as well as all communities along the proposed transportation routes, and peoples near any of the reactors or other nuclear facilities where there is stored High-Level Nuclear Fuel Waste in Canada (as this is, after all, "Canada's Plan") !?  

Living within about 40 km of the proposed Revell Lake site for transfers, processing, burial and abandonment of High-Level Nuclear Fuel Waste, I became aware of the IAAC/CNSC information sessions regarding the proposal's Planning Phase in Dryden ONLY the evening before three meetings took place, on January 22nd.  A notice had been sent out that copies of the IPD could be found at three locations in Dryden.

After NWMO announced the release of the IPD on January 5th, I decided to get a copy of it from the library for study.  I was told the NWMO had been there, but had not left any copies of the IPD.  Instead, NWMO had taken away all their other publications that had been available to review (e.g. for consultation in light of the forthcoming Comment period.)  NWMO had said that they would be back "on the 22nd."  I assumed that the NWMO would leave copies of the IPD at that time, giving residents, even if ONLY from January 22 to February 4, for review.  In the end, the Library, City Hall and Native Friendship Center each were left ONE COPY of the Initial Project Description to be seen at place only, not to be lent out for a lengthier study - a 48 page document, NOT the 92-page SUMMARY, nor the 1,233-page FULL DESCRIPTION.  Shameful!   

For all those who are unable to be in the the City of Dryden on a workday and have time to spend at one of those three above sites, or unless a person has access to a computer and internet, and knows how to use it, they have no opportunity to study the document in order to make comments about the problem areas or omissions in the NWMO proposed plan.  And then, they would need to send their comments via online.  To expect mail to arrive at the Registry before February 4th in this case would be implausible to succeed.

Over 40 percent of our population are seniors, many with health problems and/or a lack of resources.  Dryden does not have a local newspaper.  Radio stations within Kenora District are lame at best in keeping us informed about such information.  Due to a poor comunication strategy for notifying a rural community like ours, a postcard sent out by mail 45 days or more ahead of time was inadequate and inexcusable.  No wonder there were only 2 or 3 persons attending some of the IAAC / CNSC Information sessions in January.

 I received a card in the mail regarding the IPD Comment period (to Feb 4, 2026) this last Wednesday.  Much too late, but appreciate the response to my complaint made at the session I attended.  Still, that gives me only one week to pore over the flimsy, very generalized 48-page printed IPD document.  

I request the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to extend the 30-day period of January 5 to February 4 to at least a 60-day period for Comments from the public and interested Canadian and International citizens to respond in full.  You need to hear the concerns from as many people as possible before presenting the guidelines for NWMO's adherence before review. 

Thank you for giving the public and other interested parties this opportunity to submit comments to the Registry regarding NWMO's Initial Project Description.  We seriously need more time to study and digest the material  in order to properly respond.