Appeal of Ontario nuclear waste site ruling will test the li
Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2025 5:08 pmAppeal of Ontario nuclear waste site ruling will test the limits of First Nations consent
QUOTE: "A federal court judge found consultation was inadequate on plans for an Ontario nuclear waste site near Chalk River. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories wants the ruling overturned."
By Natasha Bulowski (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter) - October 17, 2025
EXCERPT: "A contentious radioactive waste disposal facility near the Ottawa River is back in court, and the outcome will set an important precedent for Indigenous Rights and consultation.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is trying to overturn a federal court’s decision that found Kebaowek First Nation was not properly consulted on a near-surface nuclear waste disposal facility near Chalk River, Ont. This development is the latest in a long saga of court challenges and appeals since the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission greenlit the proposed facility on Jan. 9, 2024. The radioactive waste mound would be situated about a kilometre from the Ottawa River, which is a source of drinking water for millions of people downstream.
The Assembly of First Nations and MPs from the Bloc Québécois, Green Party and NDP pledged their support to Kebaowek First Nation, which is prepared to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.
“The Assembly of First Nations will extend our support to the highest levels required in this case,” National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said on the eve of the court date.
The outcome of the appeal “will speak volumes about the future of First Nations rights in this country, and it may prove to be a litmus test for large infrastructure projects being fast-tracked under new federal and provincial laws,” Woodhouse Nepinak said, referring to federal Bill C-5 and similar legislation in B.C. and Ontario. . . . . ."
[ https://thenarwhal.ca/chalk-river-nuclear-waste-appeal/ ]
QUOTE: "A federal court judge found consultation was inadequate on plans for an Ontario nuclear waste site near Chalk River. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories wants the ruling overturned."
By Natasha Bulowski (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter) - October 17, 2025
EXCERPT: "A contentious radioactive waste disposal facility near the Ottawa River is back in court, and the outcome will set an important precedent for Indigenous Rights and consultation.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is trying to overturn a federal court’s decision that found Kebaowek First Nation was not properly consulted on a near-surface nuclear waste disposal facility near Chalk River, Ont. This development is the latest in a long saga of court challenges and appeals since the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission greenlit the proposed facility on Jan. 9, 2024. The radioactive waste mound would be situated about a kilometre from the Ottawa River, which is a source of drinking water for millions of people downstream.
The Assembly of First Nations and MPs from the Bloc Québécois, Green Party and NDP pledged their support to Kebaowek First Nation, which is prepared to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.
“The Assembly of First Nations will extend our support to the highest levels required in this case,” National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said on the eve of the court date.
The outcome of the appeal “will speak volumes about the future of First Nations rights in this country, and it may prove to be a litmus test for large infrastructure projects being fast-tracked under new federal and provincial laws,” Woodhouse Nepinak said, referring to federal Bill C-5 and similar legislation in B.C. and Ontario. . . . . ."
[ https://thenarwhal.ca/chalk-river-nuclear-waste-appeal/ ]