Since 2005, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has been engaging with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) on Canada’s long-term plan for storing used nuclear fuel. Over the years, the MNO and NWMO have conducted numerous community information sessions and held regular meetings with staff, citizens, and elected leadership.
In November 2024, the NWMO announced that Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace have been selected as the host communities for the future site for Canada’s deep geological repository (DGR).
Once the regulatory phase is triggered, the Northwestern Ontario Métis Community (NWOMC) will participate in the federal impact assessment process, as outlined by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC). Currently, the MNO and the NWOMC are learning more about the project and exploring opportunities for Métis citizens to engage in future processes.
Background
In 2002, the Parliament of Canada passed the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act to allow for the creation to the NWMO which would be responsible for the long-term management of Canada’s used nuclear fuel. In accordance with the act, the NWMO was formed as a not-for-profit corporation entrusted with the responsibility to design and implement Canada’s long-term storage plan for Canada’s used nuclear fuel. The NWMO refers to the plan it has developed for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel as an Adaptive Phased Management (APM). This plan emerged from a three-year dialogue with specialists, the general public, as well as the MNO and First Nations.
The APM plan is consistent with long-term management best practices adopted by other countries with nuclear power programs, such as Finland, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In June 2007, the federal government selected APM as Canada’s plan. Reflecting the feedback that the NWMO received, the APM plan proposes that used nuclear fuel be stored in a single deep geological repository. This repository will be located in a willing host community possessing suitable geology. Throughout the operation of the deep geological repository, the used nuclear fuel will remain accessible should technological advancements allow for its reuse.
Why does Canada need a long-term storage plan?
For over 50 years, nuclear energy has been a key part of Canada’s electricity supply, providing a reliable and low-carbon source of power. However, with the continued use of nuclear energy comes the responsibility of safely managing used nuclear fuel.
When nuclear fuel is removed from a reactor, it remains highly radioactive and is initially placed in water-filled pools for 7–10 years to allow heat and radiation levels to decrease. Since the 1980s, once the fuel has cooled sufficiently, it has been transferred to dry storage containers designed to last a minimum of 50 years.
Each year, roughly 90,000 additional used nuclear fuel bundles are generated. As of today, the country has accumulated about 3.3 million used fuel bundles. By the time Canada’s existing nuclear reactors complete their planned operations, this number could reach approximately 5.6 million.
Current storage facilities are not designed for long-term storage at this capacity. To address this challenge, the NWMO has developed a plan to safely contain and isolate Canada’s used nuclear fuel through a deep geological repository.
Design and Safety – Deep Geological Repository:
The deep geological repository (DGR) proposed by the NWMO would be approximately 500 metres underground (roughly the height of the CN Tower). The rock formation selected will be dense with low permeability, which means there will be little groundwater present and any groundwater movement will be very slow.
Understanding the water, its quality, its history, and where it’s flowing is essential for us to be able to make good decisions and protect the environment.
FAQs:
What is used nuclear fuel?
Used nuclear fuel is generated by Canada’s nuclear power plants and research reactors. Canada’s used nuclear fuel is solid ceramic pellets sealed in corrosion tubes that have been welded together to form a fuel bundle. Each fuel bundle weighs about 24kg or 53lbs.
What is the multiple-barrier system?
The multiple-barrier system is a series of engineered and natural barriers that work together in a deep geological repository to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel from people and the environment .
What are current locations of used nuclear fuel in Canada?
Canada’s used nuclear fuel is currently safely managed in facilities licensed for interim storage, these storage facilities are located at the nuclear reactor sites in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, as well as at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.’s sites in Manitoba and Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario.
How will Canada’s used nuclear fuel be transported?
Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel includes transporting it from its current storage facility, to a deep geological repository, so it is centrally contained and isolated long term. Safety of transporting used nuclear fuel begins with transportation package design. Transportation of used nuclear fuel will occur in a certified package that adheres to stringent Canadian regulations and international standards. Used nuclear fuel transportation packages are designed and tested to ensure protection of people and the environment during normal operations, as well as during severe accident conditions – even though unlikely. The CNSC regulations are aligned with international standards, and the CNSC is responsible for evaluating transportation packages and certifying designs. Before a used nuclear fuel transportation package can be used in Canada, the design must be reviewed and certified by the CNSC. The NWMO is assessing different package designs for transporting used nuclear fuel. Final designs will be selected based on a number of factors such as how the used fuel is currently stored, transportation modes, and efficiency. To minimize handling during the transfer from interim storage to the transportation package, the NWMO is looking at using transportation packages that accommodate the current storage method.
Transportation packages for used nuclear fuel are designed and tested to ensure workers and the public are protected during normal conditions of transport and during accident conditions.
CONTACT: If you have any questions, comments, or concerns with regards to the NWMO’s project or how the MNO is engaging with them, please contact the Lands, Resources and Consultations Branch at Consultations@metisnation.org
Understanding the water, its quality, its history, and where it’s flowing is essential for us to be able to make good decisions and protect the environment.
The deep geological repository proposed by the NWMO would be approximately 500 metres underground (roughly the height of the CN Tower). The rock formation selected will be dense with low permeability, which means there will be little groundwater present and any groundwater movement will be very slow. The NWMO has proposed what it refers to as the ‘multiple barrier system’ of engineered and natural barriers to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel to protect people and the environment. This proposed system is described further below:
- The first barrier is the solid ceramic fuel pellets that make up the fuel They are hard, dense, and relatively durable. They do not readily dissolve in water and are resistant to extremely high temperatures.
- The second barrier is the fuel bundle The fuel pellets are contained in sealed tubes made of a strong, corrosion-resistant metal called Zircaloy. Each fuel bundle is composed of a number of these fuel elements.
- The third barrier is the used nuclear fuel Each used nuclear fuel container holds 48 used fuel bundles in a steel basket within a carbon steel pipe. The pipe has the mechanical strength to withstand the pressures of the overlying rock as well as the loading from a three-kilometre-thick glacier during a future ice age. A copper coating protects the container from corrosion in the oxygen depleted (anaerobic) environment of the deep geological repository.
- The fourth barrier is the bentonite clay which will surround the used nuclear fuel After the bentonite clay seal, a 10- to 12-metre-thick concrete bulkhead will be used to close the entrance to each placement room. Bentonite clay is a natural material proven to be a powerful barrier to water flow. It swells when exposed to water, making it an excellent sealing material. The chemicalproperties of the bentonite clay would help to isolate any radionuclides in the unlikely event they were to escape from the container.
- The final barrier is the rock (geosphere)