Welcome

COMING UP - FEBRUARY ON-LINE WORKSHOPS
Nuclear Waste On-line is a series of on-line presentations throughout February 2013. Weekly workshops provide an introduction to nuclear waste in Canada, an overview of how nuclear facilities are regulated, a outline of proposals for the deep burial of nuclear waste. and a comparison of different country approaches to assessing nuclear waste burial proposals. Twice per week, February 5 to March 1. Join us!

LET'S STAY IN TOUCH!
Visit our community blog to follow news stories and updates about communities involved in the NWMO siting exercise or post your own news update. "Like" us on Facebook to follow news postings from the community blog and events listings. And subscribe to our newsletter providing information and updates from and for communities being studied as potential burial sites for nuclear waste and those along potential transportation corridors

NEWS BRIEFS
New Regional Coalition Formed to Oppose Burial of Radioactive Waste Dec. 13, 2012, WALKERTON
Growing concerns about the targeting of the eastern shore of Lake Huron for the burial of radioactive waste, and the lack of transparency in that process, have prompted the formation of a new regional umbrella group to oppose the nuclear industry's plans. The Bluewater Coalition Against the DGRs brings together several citizens' groups in the three counties to share information and strategy. Read more

Nuclear Waste Watch Re-launched On November 15th the tenth anniversary of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act coming into force - Nuclear Waste Watch sent a letter to the federal Minister of Natural Resources the Hon. Joe Oliver calling for a review of the decade-old Nuclear Fuel Waste Act and to order the nuclear industry to conduct its business in a more open and accountable fashion. The alliance of over 30 faith, environmental, community and health organizations also issued an open letter to the communities being studied by the NWMO as possible burial sites. Read more

Swedish Review Finds Major Shortcomings in Nuclear Waste Repository Plan - October 31 - Canadian environmental groups concerned about a proposal to bury nuclear waste in Canada are calling recent statements by the Swedish nuclear regulator "very significant". Earlier this week the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority released its finding that the Swedish nuclear industry's application for a geological repository for nuclear waste was inadequate in several key areas.

Welcome to our information web site about nuclear waste.

This site has been created to provide ordinary people with information about an extra-ordinary challenge: the long term management of the highly radioactive waste that is created as a byproduct of using nuclear power to generate electricity.

In Canada - as in several other countries that use nuclear power - the nuclear industry is committed to the idea of burying the nuclear fuel waste in a rock formation in a yet-to-be-identified location. In 2002 the federal government gave the nuclear industry permission to begin a search for a suitable site and a willing community, and in May 2010 the Nuclear Waste Management Organization formally launched their search for just such a community.

As of August 2012, twenty-one communities are allowing themselves to be studied as possible end points for all of Canada's high level nuclear waste: three in northern Saskatchewan, twelve in northern Ontario, and six in central Ontario.

The NWMO has announced that it is "suspending" the call for expressions of interest on September 30th, 2012, meaning they will at least temporarily close the list and concentrate on the communities that have already entered the NWMO process.

What is nuclear waste?
Nuclear wastes are the radioactive by-products of developing and using nuclear technologies, including nuclear power reactors and nuclear weapons. Nuclear fuel waste is also called "high level" waste, and is the most radioactive of the waste products generated by nuclear power production.

What is the nuclear industry looking for?

The nuclear industry - under the banner of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization - is looking for a community willing to become the "host" to all of Canada's nuclear fuel waste - approximately 50,000 tonnes to date. The NWMO plan is to place the waste deep underground. It includes the option of centralizing the waste in temporary storage at the site selected for a geological repository while research is still underway and prior to the site having been fully investigated.