The Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) Geoscience team provided an update on ongoing and upcoming fieldwork activities in the area to the Ignace Community Nuclear Liaison Committee (ICNLC).

The work furthers the NWMO’s efforts to better understand the geology of the Ignace area to confirm if it could be a safe location for a deep geological repository to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel.

The ICNLC heard from Maria Sanchez-Rico Castejon, the NWMO’s geologist leading the fieldwork activities, that downhole testing of the fourth borehole is now underway, and that drilling of the fifth borehole started in May. The sixth and final borehole prior to site selection is slated to start later this year.

Geological mapping in the area will be completed soon, and field preparations for the installation of shallow groundwater wells is underway. Geological mapping involves physically going out into the field and recording geological information from the rocks that outcrop at the surface. Installing shallow groundwater wells helps us better understand the groundwater system in the area.

Later this year, the NWMO will install additional microseismic monitoring stations in the region to collect information about the small magnitude seismic events (earthquakes) that naturally occur.

“All the work that we are doing will help us understand the geology so that both the NWMO and the community are informed when assessing the suitability of Ignace as a possible site for a deep geological repository,” said Ms. Sanchez-Rico Castejon. “With the resumption of activities, it was a great opportunity to give the latest updates to the community.”

When the work and analysis are complete, results will be shared with the public.