A report issued recently by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) said that four sites in northern Ontario have passed initial assessment for becoming possible disposal sites for the country's nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.
Priorities for long-term management of nuclear waste disposal in Canada were outlined in the report, issued in October, and finding an acceptable site for nuclear fuel was named as a top priority.
The four communities that passed the first phase of the assessment and will be studied further are Elliot Lake, Blind River, Manitouwadge and White River.
Residents of the four communities have not been asked yet of their willingness to host the disposal site. The next phase of the assessment concentrates more on community engagement and also on fieldwork to assess the geology of each area. There are currently seven additional communities still in the first phase of studies.
The process for determining if a site is acceptable for the disposal of nuclear waste takes several years.
Currently Canada’s nuclear waste disposal is carried out and funded by the owners of the waste, but is regulated by the CNSC.
The report also said that the current facilities being used in the country for disposal have been tested, and are safe and secure.
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