Work at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization site in the Ignace/Wabigoon Lake area has been put on hold.
The area has been identified as a potential site of an underground nuclear repository.
The organization has temporarily halted all technical site evaluations and borehole drilling as a result of COVID-19 concerns.
Officials stress the move is part of their commitment to protect people and the environment.
The NWMO drilled and cored a fourth borehole to a target depth of 1,000 metres last month.
However, further testing as well as drilling of the fifth and sixth boreholes won’t commence until the health crisis comes to an end.
As a part of our commitment to protecting people and the environment, we’ve temporarily stopped technical site evaluations including borehole drilling in the Ignace area. Any technical work that can be completed remotely is continuing. #COVID-19 #PlankTheCurve pic.twitter.com/TQtrWeOnw8
— NWMOCanada (@NWMOCanada) April 6, 2020