Full independent review of long distance transportation essential

I wish to comment to the Impact Agency of Canada regarding the requirements of an Impact Statement for the proposed Deep Geological Repository for all of Canada’s Used Nuclear Fuel. There are numerous areas which in my opinion require a great deal more information before a sense of security in this project can be imparted.  In this comment I will focus on the somewhat unclear area of transportation. The Scope of Project needs to include all aspects of transporting the waste, from its existing locations all the way to the DGR site, whether the access roads are under provincial, territorial or federal jurisdiction. It seems contradictory that the whole project is designated for a full federal impact assessment because of the significant adverse federal effects, and yet the waste transportation can be relegated to compliance with road safety rules in provincial ministries. Given that 3 high level nuclear waste laden trucks will be on our roads every day for 50 years, stopped for road closures, at our gas stations, in the communities along the transportation route and undoubtedly involved in the increasingly common collisions which are occurring on our highways, the risks of catastrophic harm are obvious. The DGR needs used nuclear fuel to give it a purpose. The fuel needs to be transported for this to happen. Transportation, then, is not an unrelated activity but an essential component of the project. The proponent needs to examine each and every possible scenario where harm could occur and have tools and strategies ready to employ to eliminate harmful impacts. If such strategies are technically and/or economically not feasible, then the project must not be permitted to proceed.  Long Distance transportation of this toxic substance is so potentially disastrous that anything less than comprehensive impact assessment process which includes a public hearing would be highly inappropriate.