Discussion Document 1: Asking the Right Questions? The Future Management of Canada's Used Nuclear Fuel
"In the early years of a new millennium it is not surprising that society is asking questions. It is a time of transition in which it seems natural to take the measure of where we are, where we are headed and where we want to go.
This document begins a process of dialogue which will attempt to seek answers in one domain - the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. It is only a first step in defining the problem, communicating potential choices and posing a way of assessing the alternatives.
How we approach this challenging issue will say a lot about our values and priorities as a society - how we want to live. It will set a benchmark for how we as a society will discharge our responsibility to manage the many wastes from the technologies we use to support our quality of life. ...
We hope this document will provoke discussion and participation in the next steps. For some it may be a lengthy read, with too much technical detail. For others it will not be comprehensive enough. Our challenge was to provide sufficient information to illustrate the complexity of the task. Much more information can be found on our web site.
We invite all interested Canadians to help shape the study and ultimately our recommendations to government. This opportunity will continue throughout our work as we intend to keep people informed of our thinking at every stage of the study. While we assume full responsibility for the quality of our work, it will be enriched immeasurably by your contributions."
Elizabeth Dowdeswell, President
Extract from the Foreword to the Discussion Document
The NWMO invites you to reflect on the issues posed by the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. This Discussion Document:
* Describes our legislative mandate, and how we propose to undertake the study
* Shares, for discussion, some of the broad issues and concerns that have arisen in our early conversations with Canadians
* Outlines our initial thinking about building an "analytical framework" for assessing different approaches; and
* Provides, as background for you, some important information on alternative technical methods for managing used nuclear fuel.
It is important that we hear and understand your views about how we should evaluate approaches to managing Canada's used nuclear fuel for the future. We look forward to hearing from you.
An intensive period of dialogue and discussion will follow release of the interim report to ensure that the elements society expects to be addressed are considered. As gaps are identified, adjustments will be made.
Errata
Page 27: The scales in Figures 2.2 and 2.3 are reversed. Figure 2.2 should read "linear scale" and Figure 2.3 should read "logarithmic scale."
Page 75: Reference 11 is noted as "AECL 1994 EIS, Report COG-93-11, p. 24." It should read: "AECL 1994 EIS, Report COG-93-1, p. 24."
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