Canada’s plan

• In June 2007 the Government of Canada selected Adaptive Phased Management (APM) as Canada’s plan for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel.
• The technical end point of APM is the centralized containment and isolation of used fuel in a deep geological repository located at a safe site in an area with an informed and willing host.
• The NWMO is committed to working collaboratively with interested and potentially affected individuals and organizations in a manner that is socially acceptable, technically sound, environmentally responsible and economically feasible.
• As it implements Canada’s plan, the organization is committed to using the best available knowledge, including the physical sciences, social science and Indigenous Knowledge.
• The NWMO is also responsible for the development of a transportation system to safely transport used nuclear fuel to the repository site.

Status of Implementation

• In 2010, after extensive input from Canadians, the NWMO launched the site selection process.
• Twenty-two Canadian communities came forward to express an interest in learning more about the plan and exploring their potential for hosting a national facility for used nuclear fuel.
• Through a series of progressively more detailed studies and extensive engagement, the NWMO is gradually narrowing its focus to areas with strong potential to meet the project’s requirements.
• Social engagement activities are deepening and broadening in scope, involving the communities and surrounding areas, including First Nation and Métis groups that could be affected by the project.
• The NWMO has developed an innovative engineered-barrier system to contain and isolate used CANDU fuel in a repository, and is doing extensive work to demonstrate the safety of this system.
•  In addition to implementing a long-term plan for safely and securely managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel, the NWMO also provides support services to Ontario Power Generation to develop a deep geological repository for managing low- and intermediate-level waste.

 Earliest In-Service Date: 2040 to 2045.