Kebaowek First Nation withholds consent on Chalk River nuclear waste project
Kebaowek First Nation withholds consent on Chalk River nuclear waste project
The Kebaowek First Nation says it is not yet in a position to either approve or reject a proposed nuclear waste disposal facility at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories site in Chalk River, Ontario.
In a statement released September 30th, the First Nation said the renewed consultation process ordered by the Federal Court remains incomplete.
In February 2025, the Federal Court ordered Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to resume consultations with Kebaowek. The goal was to establish a process that respects the standard of free, prior and informed consent outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The court set September 30th, 2026, as the deadline to complete the renewed consultation process.
Kebaowek says it has participated in the process
The First Nation says it has participated in the consultations in good faith over the past 15 months.
It says it has developed its own Law on the Assessment of Rights and Responsibilities, established an independent assessment committee, consulted with community members and experts, participated in meetings and site visits, and conducted independent studies on the project.
Kebaowek also says it provided Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission with a list of questions about the project’s potential impacts on its rights and responsibilities.
However, according to the First Nation, decisions regarding funding and agreements governing the consultation process, communicated in August, significantly affected its ability to complete important parts of its assessment.
Kebaowek says it will not issue a decision simply to meet the September 30 deadline.
Participation does not mean consent
The First Nation stresses that its participation in meetings, technical discussions, workshops and site visits does not constitute consent to the project.
Kebaowek says it has neither approved nor rejected the project and must complete its own assessment process before it can make a decision.
Kebaowek Chief Lance Haymond says the First Nation wants to continue the process rather than make what it considers to be an incomplete decision.
Kebaowek is now asking Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to provide the funding needed to complete its assessment and continue negotiations.
The First Nation says it remains open to consultation and is prepared to continue discussions in good faith.
The proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility, or NSDF, would be used to manage low-level radioactive waste generated by activities at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories site in Chalk River, Ontario.
