Guided by Science. Grounded in knowledge. Committed to partnership – Triennial Report 2020-22
Guided by Science. Grounded in knowledge. Committed to partnership – Triennial Report 2020-22

Developing a Canadian Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste

People from across Canada are contributing to the development of an Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste. This is an artist illustration of one of our conversations.

All Canada’s low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste is currently safely managed in interim storage. However, that storage is temporary and requires a long-term strategy.

In November 2020, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources formally launched an inclusive engagement process to ensure Canada has a modern radioactive waste policy matching international best practices and standards, while reflecting the values of Canadians and Indigenous peoples.

Recognizing the NWMO’s 20 years of expertise in engaging Canadians and Indigenous peoples, the Minister of Natural Resources asked the NWMO to lead the development of an Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste (ISRW) to plan for the long-term solution for Canada’s radioactive wastes.

The NWMO led the strategy development through a separate engagement process from that of Natural Resources Canada’s engagement on the radioactive waste policy and in parallel with Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel.

Our open and transparent engagement process was built to yield a comprehensive radioactive waste management strategy that is reflective of Canadians and Indigenous peoples and informed by practical recommendations.

In 2021, the first Canadian Radioactive Waste Summit was held, with more than 500 participants engaged. Between May 2021 and March 2022, the NWMO engaged with nearly 4,000 participants through various activities. We conducted more than 70 community engagement events, technical workshops and roundtable sessions to gather opinions and insights on Canada’s Radioactive Waste Strategy from individuals, industry, youth, academics and other key stakeholder groups. We further engaged with Indigenous peoples through dedicated activities.

Through our extensive engagement efforts, the NWMO’s youth engagement activities saw participation from 170 diverse young Canadian and Indigenous peoples, between 14 and 29 years of age, across the country. This youth engagement process took place from April to November 2021 and included 15 virtual sessions that were conducted in English and French.

As part of our commitment to transparency, the NWMO has published a report on technical options and created several tools to ensure resources are accessible to anyone interested. We have also produced a plain language summary report on the technical options.

“What we heard” reports were also published early in 2022, summarizing what the NWMO heard from participants at various engagement events. The NWMO used these insights to help understand the priorities and preferred options for managing Canada’s radioactive waste and inform the ISRW.

In August 2022, the NWMO published the draft ISRW for public comment. The draft identifies gaps in current plans for the long-term management for radioactive waste and provides technical options to address these gaps. The resulting recommendations consider options for the number of long-term waste management facilities in Canada, as well as for the staging, integration, siting, establishment and operation of these facilities for all the radioactive waste in Canada. This draft strategy does not replace other projects currently in progress but rather includes these plans.

Canadians and Indigenous peoples were invited to provide feedback. The 90-day public comment period allowed Canadians and Indigenous peoples to lend their voices to the ISRW. The final report will be submitted to Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, following the release of the revised Policy for Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning, to ensure the final recommendations align with and support this policy.