Draft Proceedings of the the National Waste Terminal Storage Program Information Meeting, Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Columbus, Ohio, October 30-November 1, 1979

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.

The Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, today proposes to amend its General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories. The DOE is proposing these amendments to clarify and focus the Guidelines to be used in evaluating the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada for development as a repository.

On April 16, 2012, the Corporation of the Township of Huron-Kinloss 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 Township of Huron-Kinloss against five screening criteria using readily available information.

On January 9, 2012 the Corporation of the Municipality of Brockton 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 Brockton against five initial screening criteria using readily available information.

The U.S. Geological Survey's program for geologic and hydrologic evaluation of physiographic provinces to identify areas potentially suitable for locating repository sites for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes was announced to the Governors of the eight States in the Basin and Range Province on May 6, 1981. Representatives of Arizona, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, were invited to cooperate with the Federal Government in the evaluation process.

In order to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel in a safe manner, SKB plans to site<br/>a deep repository and an encapsulation plant with associated canister fabrication<br/>and transportation system. After an integrated evaluation of feasibility studies<br/>and other material, SKB will proceed with investigations of the rock and studies<br/>regarding establishment of the deep disposal system in the municipality of<br/>Oskarshamn or in Northern Uppland.

Long-term radioactive waste management (RWM) involves large and long-term research and development programmes in essentially all countries with civil nuclear programmes. Such programmes develop through different phases from basic research to more focussed applied research and development (R&D) and finally to the design and siting of proposed solutions. Internationally basic principles for the conduct of these programmes, basic safety principles and guidance on how to comply with them have largely been agreed upon.

The 1976 Parliamentary election in Sweden resulted in a coalition government which imposed extremely stringent requirements for the waste produced by Swedish nuclear power plants. The industry responded with a crash study, the Nuclear Fuel Safety (KBS) project, with experts drawn from hundreds of universities and related scientific institutions. A year later, the industry presented “a complete scheme for absolutely safe storage of nuclear waste” in engineered facilities located at about 500 m depth in the Swedish granite bedrock (KBS-I).

Salt deposits are considered to be most attractive for this purpose because of their wide distribution and great abundance; they are easily mined, have good thermal properties, and are free of circulating groundwater.

The thick and regionally extensive sequence of shales and associated clastic sedimentary rocks of Late Devonian and Early Mississippian age has been considered among the “nonsalt geologies” for deep subsurface containment of high-level radioactive wastes.

This summary volume outlines results that are covered in more detail in the final report of the Spent-Fuel Test-Climax project. The project was conducted between 1978 and 1983 in the granite Climax stock at the Nevada Test Site. Results indicate that spent fuel can be safely stored for periods of years in this host medium and that nuclear waste so emplaced can be safely retrieved. We also evaluated the effects of heat and radiation (alone and in combination) on emplacement canisters and the surrounding rock mass.

Understanding the Choices is the NWMO’s second discussion document, an important milestone in a three-year study (2002-2005) designed to recommend to the Government of Canada an approach to managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel for the long term. The report begins with an examination of the values and priorities of Canadians, and how the NWMO has used this understanding to build a framework to assess and compare management approaches.