An Assessment of Canada's Used Nuclear Fuel Management Approach from the Perspective of Current Nuclear Host Communities

摘要

This paper evaluates the Canadian government's development of a management approach for used nuclear fuel from the perspective of current Canadian host communities. Canada's Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (NFWA) established the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to investigate approaches for managing Canada's usedrnnuclear fuel and to provide a recommended management approach by November 2005. The NFWA requires that the following approaches, at minimum, be studied: deep geological disposal, storage at nuclear reactor sites, and centralizedrnstorage. To undertake its mandated study, the NWMO adopted an iterative, open, and phased study process, and has developed a significant number of supporting studies, analyses and dialogues to engage the public. Current nuclear pla nt host communities are affected by the different potential management approaches and implementation plans being developed by the NWMO, especially in light of the potential for long-term onsite fuel storage at existing nuclear facilities. Acres-Sargent & Lundy (ASL) worked with the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities (CANHC) to perform an independent peer review of the NWMO's initial assessment of management approaches from the perspective of the existing host communities. Based on this review, several issues and recommendations were identified that CANHC believes should berntaken into consideration by the NWMO as it finalizes its recommended management approach. These issues andrnrecommendations were submitted to the NWMO. The NWMO subsequently indicated that these issues and recommendationsrnhave been addressed in its work since its initial assessment, or will be considered as it continues its work in 2005.