The European project COWAM in Practice (CIP) was aimed to lead for three years (2007-2009) a process of monitoring, analyzing and evaluating the governance linked with radioactive waste management. This project, in cooperation with a research group and stakeholders, was conducted in parallel in 5 European countries (Spain, France, United Kingdom, Romania, Slovenia).

The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the fields of earth sciences with some of the most complicated problems they have ever encountered. This is especially true for high level waste (HLW) which must be isolated in the underground and away from the biosphere for thousands of years.

On March 21, 2012, the Township of The North Shore expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Township of The North Shore against five screening criteria using readily-available information.

At the present time in Canada, high-level radioactive waste is accumulating in the form of irradiated, used fuel from research reactors and nuclear power generating stations. The used fuel bundles are kept in water-filled bays at each of the reactor sites. Because water is both a radiation barrier and an effective coolant, this system provides a safe means of storage. Used fuel is also safely stored above ground in dry concrete canisters in several Canadian locations.

This country report on Canada contributes to the InSOTEC research programme’s Work Package 1.1 which maps remaining socio-technical challenges to the implementation of geological disposal of radioactive waste in fourteen countries in the EU and North America (www.insotec.eu). The aim of this country report is to provide an overview of the current situation of geological disposal of High Level radioactive Waste (HLW) and Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) in Canada.

The first worldwide review of geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in 1991 (Witherspoon, 1991). This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9Ð19, 1989, in Washington, D.C.

On September 28, 2010, the Township of Schreiber expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Schreiber area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On April 11, 2012 the Township of White River expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the White River area against five initial screening criteria using readily available information.

On November 9, 2011, the Township of Nipigon expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel ( NWMO, 2010). This report presents the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Nipigon area against five initial screening criteria using readily available information.

On August 26, 2010, the Township of Ear Falls expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Ear Falls area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On March 12, 2012, the City of Elliot Lake expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the City of Elliot Lake against five screening criteria using readilyavailable information.

On, March 27, 2012, the Corporation of the Municipality of South Bruce expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by AECOM, to evaluate the potential suitability of the Municipality of South Bruce against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On February 25, 2011, the Township of Red Rock expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s use d nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report presents the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Red Rock area against five initial screening criteria using readily available information.

On March 21, 2012, the Town of Spanish expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Town of Spanish against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On March 19, 2012, the Town of Blind River expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Town of Blind River against five screening criteria using readilyavailable information.

On May 3, 2011, the Municipality of Wawa expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Wawa area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On March 21, 2011, the Township of Hornepayne expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Hornepayne area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On May 14, 2012, the Corporation of the Town of Saugeen Shores expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by AECOM, to evaluate the potential suitability of the Town of Saugeen Shores against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On March 11, 2011, the Township of Creighton expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Creighton area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

The first world wide review of the geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9-19,1989 in Washington, D.C.

On August 17, 2010, the Northern Village of Pinehouse, Saskatchewan and the Kineepik Métis Local expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Pinehouse area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On August 26, 2010, the Corporation of the Township of Ignace expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Golder Associates Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Ignace area against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On September 12, 2012, the Township of Manitouwadge expressed interest in learning more about the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s used nuclear fuel (NWMO, 2010). This report summarizes the findings of an initial screening, conducted by Geofirma Engineering Ltd., to evaluate the potential suitability of the Township of Manitouwadge against five screening criteria using readily-available information.

Response to Questions Posted To Canada in 2006