May 7, 2015 – Ottawa, ON
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), on behalf of the Government of Canada, has published Canada’s Fifth National Report for the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention).
The Joint Convention is an international agreement that governs all aspects of spent fuel and radioactive waste management. It represents a commitment by Contracting Parties (member countries) to achieve and maintain a consistently high level of safety in the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.
This report demonstrates how Canada continues to meet its obligations under the terms of the Joint Convention, for the reporting period from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014. A collaboration by government, industry and the regulatory body, this document focuses specifically on the progress of long-term management initiatives for spent fuel and radioactive waste in Canada, revisions and updates to Canada’s Fourth National Report and comments and issues raised at the Fourth Review Meeting.
Specifically, it includes information on:
- Canada’s current priorities for long-term management of spent fuel and radioactive waste
- the inventory of spent fuel and radioactive waste current to the reporting period
- continued implementation and ongoing funding of the Nuclear Legacy Liability Program
- the status of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s site-selection process for a deep geological repository for spent fuel
- the status of Ontario Power Generation’s Deep Geologic Repository for low- and intermediate-level waste
Spent fuel and radioactive waste in Canada are currently managed in interim storage facilities that are safe and environmentally sound. Interim storage facilities are continually monitored to ensure fitness for service.
The report will be discussed among the Contracting Parties during the Fifth Review Meeting to be held at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, from May 11 to May 22, 2015.
Quick facts
- The Joint Convention is the first legally binding international treaty on safety in the areas of spent fuel management and radioactive waste management.
- Canada was one of the first countries to endorse the Joint Convention, which came into force on June 18, 2001.
- In order to promote open and transparent discussions, contracting parties are required to submit a national report for peer review at each review meeting.
Additional links
Contacts
Aurèle Gervais
Media and Community Relations
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
613-996-6860
1-800-668-5284
mediarelations@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca
