Mohamed Cherif Gacem

Mohamed has worked for the CNSC since 2008. He serves as licensing lead for the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) waste management, decommissioning and environmental remediation.

Expertise and education

Mohamed is a mechanical engineer and registered professional engineer in Ontario, and has a credential in nuclear safety. His expertise in nuclear engineering spans more than 28 years in design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning and regulatory oversight of nuclear waste management and decommissioning facilities and activities, and environmental remediation.

Roles and responsibilities

Mohamed is responsible for managing the Facility Assessment and Compliance Team, performs technical reviews and assessments, works on public outreach, conducts compliance inspections, and participates in international workshops, technical meetings associated with waste management, decommissioning, environmental remediation, and the safety of near surface disposal facilities. He also participates in international peer reviews organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, such as the Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation.

His work is critical to ensuring that licensing submissions and applications are thoroughly assessed and scrutinized to demonstrate the safety of facilities now and in the long term (post-closure for disposal facilities). Mohamed also ensures that facilities comply with the Canadian regulatory requirements, and international guidance and best practices. The safety of the public and the environment is his top priority.

Other roles

With respect to the CNSC’s review of the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF), Mohamed has been the licensing lead project officer since late 2015. Acting as a single point of contact with the licensee, he also performs technical reviews and assessments of all aspects of waste management and decommissioning – including disposal, facility design, safety analysis and safety assessments, operating performance, conventional health and safety, and environmental protection. Mohamed will continue his role of ensuring that all regulatory actions associated with the NSDF are implemented during the different project phases (construction, operation, etc.).