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What Questions Will Scientific and Technical Studies Address?
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Any site that is selected to host the project must be able to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel for a very long period of time. The preferred site will be in a rock formation with desirable characteristics (geological, hydrogeological, chemical and mechanical) that support containment and repository performance to meet or exceed the regulatory expectations of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the guidance of the International Atomic Energy Agency and experience in other countries with nuclear waste management programs.
Scientific and technical evaluation factors, as outlined in Moving Forward Together: Process for Selecting a Site for Canada’s Deep Geological Repository for Used Nuclear Fuel, will be used to address the following questions related to safety:
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Are the characteristics of the rock at the site appropriate to ensuring the long-term containment and isolation of used nuclear fuel from humans, the environment and surface disturbances caused by human activities and natural events?
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Is the rock formation at the site geologically stable and likely to remain stable over the very long term in a manner that will ensure the repository will not be substantially affected by geological and climate change processes such as earthquakes and glacial cycles?
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Are conditions at the site suitable for the safe construction, operation and closure of the repository?
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Is human intrusion at the site unlikely; for instance, through future exploration or mining?
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Can the geologic conditions at the site be practically studied and described on dimensions that are important for demonstrating long-term safety?
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Can a transportation route be identi ed or developed for the safe and secure transportation of used nuclear fuel to the site from the locations at which it is stored?
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These factors will be assessed in increasingly greater detail through the sequence of Phase One desktop study, Phase Two field studies, and eventual detailed site characterization in a later step in the site selection process (Step 4).
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In order for a community and associated siting area(s) to be considered for subsequent steps in the site selection process:
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The feasibility study findings must show identified siting areas have the potential to satisfy the safety functions identified above. If feasibility studies suggest that the siting area(s) identified is unlikely to be safe, the NWMO will end its study of that siting area.
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What Is the Purpose of a Feasibility Study?