Posted by Florence Stalenhoef on June 28, 2012

Representatives from the Municipality of Central Huron visited the Western Waste Management Facility at the Bruce Nuclear Site on Friday, June 22. They were there to see how used nuclear fuel is currently being safely stored on an interim basis, and to learn about Adaptive Phased Management (APM)—Canada’s plan for building a deep geological repository to manage it over the long term.

Following the tour, staff from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) provided a detailed briefing about APM and the process for identifying an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository.

APM is the plan the Government of Canada selected in 2007 for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. The approach requires that Canada’s used nuclear fuel be safely and securely contained and isolated from people and the environment in a deep geological repository in a suitable rock formation.  In 2010, the NWMO initiated a nine-step process for selecting a host community.  It is anticipated that the process will take from seven to ten years to complete.

The initial briefing was Step 1 in the process.  If Council votes to proceed to Step 2, the NWMO would be asked to complete an initial screening of the community.  The purpose of the screening is to determine whether, based on readily-available information and five screening criteria, there are any obvious conditions that would exclude Central Huron from further consideration in the site selection process.

A key feature of the site selection process is that a community can remove itself from the process at any time.

“This is not a commitment to anything beyond learning,” said Mayor Jim Ginn. “The Council can initiate the learning process, but it cannot act unilaterally to accept the project.   Should Central Huron continue in the process, the ultimate decision on hosting the repository must be made by the whole community together.”

The APM project is distinct from Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) proposed deep geologic repository for low and intermediate level waste proposed for the Bruce Nuclear site. The OPG project’s regulatory approvals process will continue to unfold as planned and will focus on the low and intermediate level waste streams generated by OPG- owned or –operated reactors. The APM process is completely separate and will accommodate all of Canada’s used nuclear fuel.

For more information about the NWMO, and the site selection process, please visit: www.nwmo.ca/sitingprocess

(Photo: Central Huron representatives (left to right) Roads Manager Tom Sinclair, Deputy Clerk Florence Stalenhoef, Deputy Mayor David Jewitt, Councillor Alex Westerhout, Councillor Marg Anderson, Councillor Brian Barnim, Councillor Alison Lobb, Community Member Robert Worsell, Councillor Burkhard Metzger, Interim CAO J.R. McLachlan, Community Member Robert Watkins, and Mayor Jim Ginn standing in  front of dry storage containers at the Western Waste Management Facility)