Message from Glenn Jager, NWMO Board Chair

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The last three years at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) have been marked by both significant technical accomplishments and trail-blazing community milestones.

These achievements are the culmination of decades of work that will propel the NWMO forward as we implement Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. We are entering into these next years with the confidence and excitement that come with making progress on a project that will protect people and the environment for generations to come.

I am honoured to have taken on the role of Chairperson for the NWMO Board of Directors this year. Coming from the nuclear sector, I have first-hand experience and a deep understanding of the need for this project. While the current storage method is safe on an interim basis, it is not appropriate over the long term. Keeping the used fuel where it is today would mean leaving the burden to future generations to manage. By taking action now, we will instead leave a legacy that will benefit our kids and grandkids. That is why it is so important to the entire Board – and indeed, to Canada – that this project succeeds.

While the Board offers the NWMO the benefits of a wide range of leadership experience, we would like to acknowledge that the organization is strengthened by the guidance of many independent groups of experts from various fields, including, for example, the Advisory Council, Geoscience Review Group and Council of Knowledge Holders.

We are excited to see momentum on the construction of deep geological repositories around the world. The approach we are implementing is not just a theoretical concept. Projects are moving ahead, and there is tangible experience for us to contribute to and rely on.

The NWMO finds itself in the unique position of both being a leader in our field and being able to lean on international best practices. We are not the first to implement a repository project, but we are among those at the front of the pack. We are actively learning from the science and technical innovations of the jurisdictions we collaborate with internationally.

And they lean on us for our expertise on safety, including safety from a social perspective. The NWMO is recognized internationally as a leader for our consent-based site selection process. Other organizations and governments are learning from our significant technical progress, public engagement and momentum towards selecting a site. As we look to the future, we are happy to do our part as a global contributor to the important body of work in this field, and we continue sharing our leadership and learnings.

We have adapted to changing tides from the beginning of this project and even more so as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Having completed several key benchmarks, the NWMO is full steam ahead for one of the most important milestones on the horizon – selecting a site for Canada’s deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel. We expect to achieve this goal in the fall of 2024.

Our Board knows we must maintain momentum to get Canada’s plan across the line. The safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel is within reach, for Canada and for the future.