Asking the right questions

In November 2002, Parliament passed the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (NFWA). It required the major owners of used nuclear fuel in Canada to establish the NWMO. The initial phase of our mandate was to study approaches for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel, and to recommend a preferred approach to the Government of Canada. The historical information about one part of that process is preserved here in line with our commitment to transparency.

    Overview

    Asking the Right Questions? The Future Management of Canada's Used Nuclear Fuel is the first Discussion Document issued by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). It is an invitation for Canadians to reflect on the complex issues posed by used nuclear fuel and to provide their perspectives on various approaches for its long-term management and how those approaches should be evaluated.

    Let your views and perspectives be known by completing this form! The views you express here will help shape how the NWMO goes about conducting the study. We will use this input to further develop and refine the management approaches and prepare a preliminary comparative analysis of the options. This preliminary comparative analysis of the approaches will be shared in our next discussion document planned for 2004.

    This form is composed of two parts: 1) a brief series of questions to help us understand who you are, and the range of Canadians who took time to share their thoughts through the website; and, 2) an area for you to type in your coments, or attach a document already prepared.

    Add your thoughts on:

    • The Discussion Document overall
    • The question: Have we described the problem correctly? Is our description of the history of this issue, the challenge facing Canada today and the characteristics of Canada's nuclear fuel inventory clear and understandable? Is there anything that should be added?
    • The question: Have we identified appropriate ways to deal with the problem? Given limited time and resources, on which technical methods should we focus? Do you concur with our preliminary depiction of these methods? Do the methods we propose to study constitute a fair basis for developing an approach for Canada?
    • The question: Are we asking the right questions? As we assess different methods, are we on the right track in terms of capturing the key issues? Do you agree with the parameters and key questions suggested in Chapter 3? Are there specific issues that you would like considered as we assess different technical methods? What are some key considerations as we develop an implementation plan and overall management approach?
    • The question: Is our proposed decision-making process understandable and appropriate? Have we captured the key elements? Are there other considerations that should be included?
    We are committed to providing visitors with a web site that respects their privacy. Please click on the important notices below to read our Privacy Notice. You will note that the name, email address and submission fields are required to be completed in order to contribute your thoughts. Any submissions the NWMO receives that may be posted on this website will be reviewed prior to their posting to ensure they do not include SPAM or any offensive language. If you do not want your comments to appear on the website, please use our "Contact Us" form, linked below. Any thoughts you share through the Contact Us form are treated as private and confidential.

    Resources:

    Continue reading

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    Selecting Canada's plan

    Planning for the Study
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    Planning for the Study

    Conversations about expectations