Our priority is protecting people and the environment
Discover howCanada's plan
Nuclear energy has powered our homes, businesses and cities for decades. Today, Canada is also actively exploring emerging nuclear technologies and the role they may play in meeting the country’s climate change targets.
Used nuclear fuel is a byproduct of nuclear power. It must be safely managed long-term.
That’s why we are implementing Canada’s plan to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel, as well as non-fuel high- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. We’re protecting people and the environment, including water, for generations to come.
Used nuclear fuel is a byproduct of nuclear power. It must be safely managed long-term.
That’s why we are implementing Canada’s plan to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel, as well as non-fuel high- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. We’re protecting people and the environment, including water, for generations to come.
Canada's used nuclear fuel
The country’s used nuclear fuel is currently safely stored in licensed facilities at reactor sites in Canada. Today’s method is safe, but temporary. It requires ongoing maintenance and management, which isn’t sustainable over the very long period the material must be contained and isolated. This is why Canada has a plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel.
What is Canada's plan?
Canada’s plan involves containing and isolating all the country’s used nuclear fuel underground in a deep geological repository. It is supported by international scientific consensus and best practices for managing used nuclear fuel.
Site selection
The multi-year, community-driven process to identify a site for Canada’s deep geological repository began in 2010. Twenty-two municipalities and Indigenous communities expressed interest in learning more and exploring their potential to host the project.
Today, following a gradual process of narrowing down, two areas remain in the process: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario.
Canada’s plan will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nation and Métis communities, and others in the area are working together to implement it.
Today, following a gradual process of narrowing down, two areas remain in the process: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area in northwestern Ontario and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area in southern Ontario.
Canada’s plan will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts, where the municipality, First Nation and Métis communities, and others in the area are working together to implement it.
"At the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, safety is our first and highest priority. It drives everything we do — from project design, engineering and environmental research, to aligning with Indigenous Knowledge and engaging local communities."
Laurie Swami
President and CEO
