A public interest information project about nuclear waste burial in Canada.
Know Nuclear Waste
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. Read more HERE
Nuclear Waste On-line
Webinar Series presentations from past years are now available onthe Know Nuclear Waste YouTube Channel CLICK HERE
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization says they are seeking an "informed and willing host". Read more about the NWMO "Willingness" Projects
A NATIONAL REVIEW OF CANADA'S RADIOACTIVE WASTE POLICY WAS LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER 2020 AND CONCLUDED IN 2023 WITH THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEARN MORE HERE .
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has now focused their investigation of potential burial sites for all of Canada's high level nuclear fuel waste on two remaining areas: the Revell Lake area, 45 kilometres west of Ignace, in northwestern Ontario, and an area just north of Teeswater in the Municiaplity of South Bruce in southwestern Ontario.
Nuclear Waste On-line is a series of on-line presentations about nuclear waste in Canada. For the previous sessions click HERE.
NUCLEAR WASTE ONLINE 2025
Join us for our 13th annual webinar series.
Tuesday, February 4th, 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
Canada Update 2025: Nuclear Waste Burial & the NWMO
Register HERE
Tuesday, February 11th, 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
Nuclear Waste Unleashed: NWMO’s Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste Register HERE
Tuesday, February 18th, 12 pm Eastern / 11 am Central
International Update: Nuclear Waste Burial Programs in the UK, US and EU Register HERE
Tuesday, February 25th, 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
Big Nuclear: Nuclear Expansionism in Canada
Register HERE
Nuclear Waste Online 2024 RECORDINGS
- Canada Update 2024: Nuclear Waste & the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. View the recording HERE
- Securing the Future: A Risk-Reduced Approach to Nuclear Fuel Waste Management. View the recording HERE
- Energy, Nuclear Waste, and Indigenous Decision-making
- View the recording HERE
- Radioactive Waste Policy in Canada – where did it go?
- View the recording HERE
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.
On November 28th 2024 the Nuclear Waste Management Organization announced that it had selected the Revell site in northwestern Ontario as the location for their proposed deep geological repository for all of Canada's high-level nuclear waste. Read more HERE
Welcome
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 organize themselves as the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and so relaunch their 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-two communities were allowing themselves to be studied as possible end points for all of Canada's high level nuclear waste: three in northern Saskatchewan, thirteen in northern Ontario, and six in southwestern Ontario.
In November 2013 the NWMO dropped two from northern Saskatchewan and two from northern Ontario. In January 2014, two communities in Bruce County were dropped, and in June 2014 the town of Nipigon withdrew. The NWMO dropped Brockton in December 2014, and Spanish and the Township of the North Shore in January 2015. In February 2015, Creighton, Saskatchewan and Schreiber, Ontario were removed from the NWMO investigations. The Municipality of Central Huron and the Township of White River were dropped by the NWMO in June 2017, and in December NWMO announced that the area around Blind River and Elliot Lake, Ontario, will no longer be considered. In November 2019 the Townships of Hornepayne and Manitouwadge were taken off NWMO’s list, and in January 2020 NWMO announced that it had signed agreements with landowners in South Bruce , and would no longer consider Huron Kinloss as a potential host.
Two areas remain under investigation: the Revell Lake area, 35 kilometres west of Ignace, in northwestern Ontario, and an area just north of Teeswater in the Municipality of South Bruce in southwestern Ontario.