Adaptive Phased Management Geoscientific Review Group

The NWMO established the Adaptive Phased Management Geoscientific Review Group (APM-GRG) to ensure that site evaluations are conducted in a consistent and traceable manner using best international practices. The group provides advice and guidance on the approach, methods and findings for the preliminary assessments being conducted in Step 3 of the site selection process.

Members of the APM-GRG

The APM-GRG is composed of five internationally recognized experts from Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, and Australia. They combine extensive multidisciplinary experience in areas relevant to the siting of deep geological repositories in both crystalline and sedimentary rock formations.

Dr. Peter Kaiser

Dr. Peter Kaiser, Chairman of the APM-GRG, is Professor Emeritus of Mining Engineering at Laurentian University, former Chair for Rock Engineering and Ground Control, former Director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction, and former Founding Director of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation. His interests lie in geomechanics, underground excavation stability, mine design, mechanized excavation, and the applications of other emerging technologies that increase mining safety and productivity. Dr. Kaiser is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada. He is the author of more than 350 technical and scientific publications.

Dr. Sandy (Alexander) Cruden

Dr. Sandy (Alexander) Cruden is a Professor and Head of the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University (Australia). Dr. Cruden has more than 25 years of geoscience experience related to structural geology, analysis and characterization in both crystalline and sedimentary rock settings. Dr. Cruden completed a fault reactivation analysis and structural characterization of southwestern Ontario as part of site characterization activities for Ontario Power Generation's proposed Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste Deep Geologic Repository at the Bruce site.

Dr. Andreas Gautschi

Dr. Andreas Gautschi was Chief Geoscientific Advisor at the Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste. Since his retirement, he works as an international geoscientific consultant. Dr. Gautschi has more than 30 years of geoscience experience related to the planning, co-ordination and implementation of site evaluation programs for deep geological repositories in both crystalline and sedimentary rocks. He co-ordinated successful geoscience activities that contributed to the selection of the Opalinus Clay formation as the preferred geologic setting for the long-term management of high-level waste in Switzerland. He still has a lectureship at ETH Zurich on deep geological disposal of radioactive waste.

Mr. Anders Ström

Mr. Anders Ström is Senior Program Manager within the Nuclear Fuel department at SKB (the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company). His work is currently focused on co-ordination of tasks for technology development, and development of the encapsulation plant and spent fuel repository for disposal of used nuclear fuel in crystalline rock. Mr. Ström has been actively involved in SKB’s siting program since the early ’90s, among other things, in charge of the development of requirements on the rock for the spent fuel repository and criteria for site evaluation. During the site characterization project, he was Chief Project Manager for the multidisciplinary site descriptive modelling conducted for the two candidate sites. Since 2015, he is also in charge of SKB’s program for research, development and demonstration.

Dr. Michael Stephens

Dr. Michael Stephens is a retired Senior State Geologist with the Geological Survey of Sweden in Uppsala. Dr. Stephens has been actively involved in the Swedish site evaluation process, including country-wide reconnaissance studies conducted in Sweden to identify potentially suitable regions for hosting a deep geological repository, geoscientific feasibility studies, and the detailed site characterization of the Forsmark site which was selected by SKB (the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) as the site for the deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel in Sweden.