Laurie Swami
President & CEO,
Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Thanks to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s leadership, Canada’s used nuclear fuel finally has a safe home.
As countries increase efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the demand for clean energy continues to grow. In Canada, the federal government has made it clear that nuclear power plays a critical role in safeguarding our energy security and taking action to address climate change.
A necessary byproduct of generating nuclear energy is used nuclear fuel, which must be contained and isolated to protect people and the environment. There’s international, scientific consensus that the safest way to manage used nuclear fuel for the long term is in a deep geological repository — a network of underground tunnels and placement rooms.
A historic decision for Canada
Since 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has been working to create and implement Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel by containing and isolating it in a deep geological repository, built to a depth of nearly 700 metres, which is deeper than the CN Tower is tall.
Recently we took a historic step forward by selecting Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace as the area for the repository, which will serve as the home for our country’s used nuclear fuel.
This is a historic moment for Canada.
This project, which was developed through dialogue with Canadians and Indigenous Peoples, solves an environmental issue for Canada and will help fight climate change.
But how did we get to this milestone?
From the beginning, we’ve said that this repository will only be built in an area with a safe site, informed and willing hosts, and in a way that advances community well-being as defined by the host communities.
We began the site selection process in 2010 and by 2012, 22 communities had expressed interest in learning about the project and exploring their potential to host it.
Building trust through community support
Over more than a decade, the NWMO narrowed the list of potential sites through increasingly intensive technical studies and engagement with those communities, their neighbours, and the First Nations in whose traditional territories the potential sites were located.
Identifying a safe site with a suitable rock formation was essential, and fortunately Canada is blessed with a lot of stable rock.
But one thing that sets this project apart is the NWMO’s commitment to willingness. We refused to select a site until the communities it will most affect confirmed that they support moving forward.
In other words, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace made their decision before we made ours.
Both communities worked tirelessly to define their own processes to demonstrate willingness. Community members took the time to learn about the project, and this momentous decision couldn’t have been made without their dedication. We’re grateful to them and to the many other communities that participated in the site selection process.
This project, which was developed through dialogue with Canadians and Indigenous Peoples, solves an environmental issue for Canada and will help fight climate change.
A global example of leadership
Because of them, Canada’s used nuclear fuel will have a safe forever home. We won’t pass on the waste we’ve created as a burden for future generations to manage.
This decision is a clear demonstration of Canada’s leadership in creating a community-driven, consent-based process that works.
We’re also a role model for many other countries developing similar projects. The site selection process we implemented is a model for building a socially acceptable plan for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. It’s also a reflection of our commitment to Reconciliation and ensuring Indigenous Peoples have free, prior, and informed consent.
The NWMO has agreed to an Indigenous-led regulatory assessment and approval process. This sovereign process will be developed and implemented by Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation to ensure that potential impacts of the project are assessed against Anishinaabe values and that appropriate risk mitigation is in place.
Share your voice
While this announcement is a historic moment for the NWMO, Canadians, and Indigenous Peoples, it’s not the end of the process.
We’re closing one chapter and beginning another — the regulatory decision-making process. This rigorous process will ensure that the NWMO’s understanding of the safety of the repository is independently confirmed both by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and through the Government of Canada’s impact assessment process.
As we begin the regulatory process, anyone who’s interested in the project will have the opportunity to have their voice heard. We encourage anyone interested to participate, share their questions, and learn more about the project as this process gets underway next year.
We look forward to hearing from you as we move forward with implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel.
To learn more, visit nwmo.ca.
