It will be sometime this summer before a judicial review is held for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approved construction of the NSDF at Chalk River at the beginning of January.
Two applications for a review of that decision by the Federal Court of Canada were filed February 7 – one by the Kebaowek First Nation (KFN) and the second by three environmental groups – the Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area, Ralliement contre la pollution radioactive and the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
The CNSC has filed four volumes of material related to its decision in the second case, but no dates have been set for further proceedings.
Lawyers for KFN and CNL, meanwhile, met with Federal Court Judge Benoit Duchesne last week to discuss next steps in that review.
Following the hearing, Duchesne issued an order that the two sides exchange documents through the spring and then meet again June 3 for a further “case management conference.”
Duchesne noted in his order that the two sides “seek to have this proceeding heard in person in Ottawa over two days in the summer of 2024.”
Meanwhile, KFN Chief Lance Haymond appeared last week before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.
Haymond said that for the Algonquin people, the Ottawa River “has been our home and highway since time immemorial”…
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