Son Nguyen

Professional biography

Son has worked at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) since 1982. As a geoscience technical specialist in the Environmental Risk Assessment Division, he applies geoscientific and engineering principles to assess the safety of nuclear installations, with a focus on radioactive waste disposal and long-term safety.

Expertise and education

His academic background includes a bachelor of engineering and a master of engineering in civil engineering from Université de Sherbrooke, and a PhD in civil engineering and applied mechanics from McGill University. He holds a professional engineering designation affiliated with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. His expertise includes geotechnical engineering and geomechanics, contaminant hydrogeology, radioactive waste disposal, geological disposal, and safety and engineering assessments related to long-term waste management.

Roles and responsibilities

In his role, Son supports regulatory research, guidance development and technical reviews related to radioactive waste management and disposal, mine and mill waste facilities, and soil-structure analysis of various nuclear installations.

He is involved in work related to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s Adaptive Phased Management project for Canada’s used nuclear fuel. He also reviews safety cases for the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ proposed near surface disposal facility, and in-situ decommissioning projects such as Whiteshell Reactor #1 and the Nuclear Power Demonstration facility, as well as for mine and mill waste management facilities such as NextGen and Paladin. His work helps build independent scientific knowledge and supports science-based licensing decisions.

Other highlights

Son conducts research with Canadian and international partners to keep pace with scientific and engineering developments and help harmonize the CNSC’s regulatory approach with international best practice. He was chair of an International Atomic Energy Agency project related to demonstrating the safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers. He is also a 2-time recipient of the CNSC President’s Merit Award.