Nuclear Waste Repository Comment Period Extended

Major Projects Office pushes public comment deadline on the proposed Revell Lake repository to January 15, 2027.

Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Nuclear

Nuclear Waste Repository Comment Period Extended

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Should Ottawa fast-track major projects past standard environmental reviews?

The Major Projects Office has extended the public comment window on a proposed deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel to January 15, 2027, from an original deadline of October 26, 2026. The repository would store approximately 5.9 million bundles of used nuclear fuel near Revell Lake, south of Highway 17.

Why it matters

The office is also reviewing whether to designate the project as one of national interest, which would bundle all required federal approvals into a single conditions document. For Canadians, the outcome will shape how and where long-term nuclear waste is managed.

The repository would hold approximately 5.9 million bundles of used nuclear fuel, and the public comment period now closes January 15, 2027, after an original October 26, 2026 deadline. Whether the Major Projects Office will designate the project as one of national interest remains under review.

The players

Nuclear Waste Management Organization

The organization responsible for developing Canada's long-term deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel, which is the proponent of the Revell Lake project.

The details

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization's proposed deep geological repository sits near Revell Lake between Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, both designated host communities. The project would also require licences from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and the federal impact assessment formally started January 5, 2026.

October 26, 2026: Original public comment deadline.
January 5, 2026: Federal impact assessment formally started.
July 3, 2026: Impact Assessment Agency of Canada issued guidelines for the impact statement.
January 15, 2027: Extended public comment deadline.

Big Picture

The Major Projects Office is weighing whether to list the repository under Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act, which would let a single conditions document from the Minister of One Canadian Economy stand in for separate federal permits. The move would test how the national-interest designation process applies to a long-term nuclear waste facility.

Residents of Ignace, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, and nearby communities can submit comments until January 15, 2027, before the review moves forward. A national-interest designation would streamline federal approvals, which could affect how quickly the project advances.

The takeaway

The comment window now runs to January 15, 2027, giving the public more time to weigh in before a decision on how this long-term nuclear waste project is approved.

What happens next

The public comment period closes January 15, 2027, and the Major Projects Office will decide whether to designate the repository as a project of national interest.