Canada opens comments on potential nuclear-repository listing

Ottawa is opening public comments on whether a proposed deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel should be listed as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act.

The notice is scheduled for publication in the Canada Gazette on September 19. Written comments are due October 26, 2026.

No listing decision yet

The government says publication of the notice is a required procedural step and does not mean the project has been listed or approved. A listing would coordinate federal permitting, while the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission would retain its independent licensing role.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization proposes a network of tunnels and placement rooms 650 to 800 metres underground for Canada’s current and future used nuclear fuel. Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace have agreed to advance hosting discussions. The project is also undergoing a federal impact assessment and regulatory reviews.

Source: Government of Canada, news release, September 18, 2026.

Illustrative underground infrastructure photo by Bradley Andrews via Unsplash; cropped/resized. It does not show the proposed repository.