IGNACE, Ont. — The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is drilling new boreholes in the Canadian Shield near Ignace, as it continues the search for a suitable site for an underground storage facility.
NWMO plans a total of six boreholes in an area located between Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.
The first hole was drilled to a depth of 1,000 metres, about 35 kilmetres west of Ignace, last year.
The second hole was completed last month, and drilling is currently underway for a third hole, about 2.5 kilometres from the first and second drill sites.
On-site preparation for boreholes four to six also started this month.
NWMO says it is currently conducting testing inside the second borehole, as well as laboratory tests of core and water samples.
"This is an exciting period as we reached an important milestone when we completed drilling of our second borehole," said Sarah Hirschorn, NWMO Director of Geoscience.
"We are continuing to test and analyze the core and water to further build our understanding of the geosphere," Hirschorn said.
After on-site testing is completed, additional analysis of core and water samples will be done in Canadian and international laboratories over a period of several months.
Canada has an inventory of nearly three million used nuclear fuel bundles.
If stacked like cordwood, they would fill eight hockey rinks from the ice surface to the top of the boards.
In addition to the Ignace area, NWMO is investigating potential storage sites near Manitouwadge and Hornepayne in northwestern Ontario, and South Bruce and Huron Kinross in southern Ontario.
The organization expects to make a final decision by 2023, and it will take a further 10 years to build the underground repository.
