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Canadian National Report for the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management - Table of Contents

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Executive Summary

  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 2.0 Canada's key highlights and current priorities
  • 3.0 Progress since the Second Review Meeting
    • 3.1 Continue the progress for the long-term management by:
      • 3.1 (a) Sustaining momentum for the implementation of long-term management approaches
      • 3.1 (b) Fostering relationships gained through stakeholder consultation
      • 3.1 (c) Ensuring that there are adequate human resources to implement future work
      • 3.1 (d) Increasing the regulatory efforts necessary to support future industry initiatives
      • 3.1 (e) Continuing production of supporting regulatory documentation
    • 3.2 Financial guarantees
    • 3.3 Approvals required for the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) and the Deep Geologic Repository (OPG)
    • 3.4 Decommissioning old structures
    • 3.5 Progress on major projects
    • 3.6 CSA's formal waste classification scheme to be considered
    • 3.7 Amendment to regulations on exemption and clearance
    • 3.8 NWMO's recommendation for managing Canada's nuclear fuel waste
  • 4.0 Conclusion

Sestion A - Introduction

  • A.1 Scope of the section
  • A.2 Introduction
  • A.3 Nuclear substances
  • A.4 Canadian philosophy and approach to safety
  • A.5 Fundamental principles
  • A.6 Main safety issues
  • A.7 Survey of the main themes

Section B - Policies and Practices

  • B.1 Scope of the section
  • B.2 Introduction
  • B.3 Legislative instruments
  • B.4 National framework for radioactive waste management
  • B.5 Regulatory policy on managing spent fuel and radioactive waste
  • B.6 Regulatory Guide G-320: Assessing the Long-Term Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
  • B.7 Classification of radioactive waste in Canada
    • B.7.1 High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW)
    • B.7.2 Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste (ILW)
    • B.7.3 Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW)
    • B.7.4 Uranium mine and mill waste
  • B.8 Operational responsibilities for long-term management
  • B.9 Management practices for spent fuel
  • B.10 Management practices for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste
  • B.11 Management practices for uranium mine waste rock and mill tailings

Section C - Scope of Application

  • C.1 Scope of the section
  • C.2 Introduction
  • C.3 Reprocessed spent fuel
  • C.4 Naturally occurring radioactive materials
  • C.5 Department of National Defence programs
  • C.6 Discharges

Section D - Inventories and Lists

  • D.1 Scope of the section
  • D.2 Inventory of spent fuel in Canada
    • D.2.1 Spent fuel wet storage inventory at nuclear reactor sites
  • D.3 Radioactive waste inventory
    • D.3.1 Radioactive waste management facilities
  • D.4 Uranium mining and milling waste
    • D.4.1 Operational mine and mill sites
    • D.4.2 Inventory of uranium mine and mill waste at inactive tailings sites

Section E - Legislative and Regulatory Systems

  • E.1 Scope of the section
  • E.2 Establishment of the Canadian legislative and regulatory framework
  • E.3 National safety requirements
    • E.3.1 Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA)
    • E.3.2 Regulations issued under the NSCA
    • E.3.3 Regulatory documents
  • E.4 Comprehensive licensing system for spent fuel and radioactive waste management activities
    • E.4.1 Licensing procedure
    • E.4.2 Process assessment of a licence application
    • E.4.3 Information and participation of the public
  • E.5 A system of prohibition of the operation of spent fuel or radioactive waste without a licence
  • E.6 System of institutional control, regulatory inspection and documenting and reporting
    • E.6.1 General description of compliance program
    • E.6.2 Compliance promotion
    • E.6.3 Compliance verification
    • E.6.4 Compliance enforcement
  • E.7 Considerations taken into account in deciding whether or not to regulate nuclear substances as radioactive waste
  • E.8 Establish regulatory body
    • E.8.1 Funding of the CNSC
    • E.8.2 Maintaining competent personnel
  • E.9 Supporting the separation of roles
    • E.9.1 Separation of the CNSC and organizations that promote and utilize nuclear energy
    • E.9.2 Strategic communications
    • E.9.3 Values and ethics

Section F - Other General Safety Provisions

  • F.1 Scope of the section
  • F.2 Responsibility of the licence holder
  • F.3 Human resources
    • F.3.1 University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering
    • F.3.2 CANTEACH
    • F.3.3 OPG
    • F.3.4 Nuclear Waste Management Organization
  • F.4 Financial resources
    • F.4.1 General
    • F.4.2 Historic waste
    • F.4.3 Financial guarantees
  • F.5 Quality assurance
    • F.5.1 QA program assessment
  • F.6 Operational radiation protection
    • F.6.1 Requirements for doses so they are consistent with ALARA
    • F.6.2 Derived release limits
    • F.6.3 Action levels
    • F.6.4 Dosimetry
    • F.6.5 Preventing unplanned releases
    • F.6.6 Protection of the environment
    • F.6.7 Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission activities
  • F.7 Nuclear emergency management
    • F.7.1 The CNSC's assessment of licensees' emergency management programs
    • F.7.2 Types of nuclear emergencies
    • F.7.3 Federal government responsibilities
    • F.7.4 International arrangements
  • F.8 Decommissioning
    • F.8.1 Qualified staff and adequate financial resources
    • F.8.2 Operational radiation protection, discharges, unplanned and uncontrolled Releases
    • F.8.3 Emergency preparedness
    • F.8.4 Records

Section G - Safety of Spent Fuel Management

  • G.1 Scope of the section
  • G.2 Nuclear power plants
  • G.3 CANDU fuel
  • G.4 Research reactors
    • G.4.1 Nuclear fuel waste from research reactors
  • G.5 Medical isotope production fuel
  • G.6 Storage of spent fuel
  • G.7 Spent fuel management methods
    • G.7.1 Requirements for spent fuel storage
  • G.8 Safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste Management
    • G.8.1 General safety requirements
    • G.8.2 Canadian licensing process
    • G.8.3 Protection and safety fundamentals
    • G.8.4 Generic performance requirements
    • G.8.5 Generic design and operational principles
    • G.8.6 Performance criteria
    • G.8.7 Safety requirements
      • G.8.7.1 Nuclear criticality safety
      • G.8.7.2 Facility design
      • G.8.7.3 Physical security and safeguards
      • G.8.7.4 Industrial safety
  • G.9 Protection of existing facilities
  • G.10 Protection in the siting of proposed facilities
    • G.10.1 Public information programs
    • G.10.2 International arrangements with neighbouring countries that could be affected
  • G.11 Design, construction and assessment of safety of facilities
  • G.12 Operation of facilities
  • G.13 Monitoring of spent fuel dry storage Facilities
    • G.13.1 Gamma radiation monitoring experience
    • G.13.2 Leak tightness verification experience
    • G.13.3 Environmental monitoring experience
    • G.13.4 Effluent Monitoring Experience
      • G.13.4.1 AECL
      • G.13.4.2 OPG
  • G.14 Disposal of spent fuel
  • G.15 New facilities
  • G.16 Proposed facilities
  • G.17 Long-term management of spent fuel

Section H - Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

  • H.1 Scope of the section
  • H.2 Radioactive waste in Canada
  • H.3 Characteristics of radioactive waste in Canada
    • H.3.1 Fuel manufacturing waste
    • H.3.2 Electricity generation waste
    • H.3.3 Historic waste
    • H.3.4 Radioisotope production and use waste
    • H.3.5 Uranium mining and milling waste
    • H.3.6 Radioactive waste at research reactors
  • H.4 Waste minimization
  • H.5 General safety requirements
    • H.5.1 Protection and safety fundamentals
    • H.5.2 Safety requirements
  • H.6 Protection of existing facilities
    • H.6.1 Past practices
  • H.7 Protection in the siting of proposed facilities
    • H.7.1 Public information programs
      • H.7.1.1 Public information program for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste storage
      • H.7.1.2 Public information for a new uranium mine or mill
  • H.8 Design, construction and assessment of facilities
  • H.9 Operation of facilities
    • H.9.1 Criticality safety
  • H.10 Institutional measures after closure
    • H.10.1 Introduction
    • H.10.2 Examples of the use of institutional controls for proposed spent fuel and radioactive waste repositories
    • H.10.3 Example of the development of institutional control for decommissioned uranium mines and mills in Saskatchewan
  • H.11 Monitoring programs

Section I - Transboundary Movement

  • I.1 Scope of the section
  • I.2 Introduction
  • I.3 Controlled substances
  • I.4 Exporting state
  • I.5 State of destination
  • I.6 Destination south of latitude 60 degrees

Section J - Disused Sealed Sources

  • J.1 Scope of the section
  • J.2 Introduction
  • J.3 Regulatory framework
  • J.4 Sealed sources used in Canada
    • J.4.1 Disposal of sealed sources in Canada
    • J.4.2 The National Sealed Source Registry and Sealed Source Tracking System
      • J.4.2.1 Import and export of radioactive sealed sources
    • J.4.3 Retention of records
    • J.4.4 Safety of sealed sources
  • J.5 Sealed sources in the international community

Section K - Planned Activities

  • K.1 Scope of the section
  • K.2 Introduction
  • K.3 Regulatory framework initiatives
  • K.4 Long-term management of spent fuel
    • K.4.1 Assessment of options for long-term management of spent fuel (2002-2005)
    • K.4.2 Adaptive Phased Management: NWMO proposal to government (2005)
    • K.4.3 Government decision (June 2007)
    • K.4.4 Implementing the long-term management pPlan (2007 - 2008 activities)
  • K.5 Long-term management of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste
    • K.5.1 Proposed low- and intermediate-level waste deep geologic repository at OPG's Western Management Facility
    • K.5.2 Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program (NLLP)
      • K.5.2.1 Long-term strategy to decommission Chalk River Laboratories
      • K.5.2.2 AECL Liquid Waste Transfer and Storage (LWTS) Project
    • K.5.3 Management of historic waste
      • K.5.3.1 Port Hope Area Initiative
      • K.5.3.2 Other historic waste initiatives
  • K.6 Other contaminated lands
    • K.6.1 Inactive uranium mine and mill tailings management areas
    • K.6.2 Contaminated land resulting from past practices in the uranium and radium industries under institutional control
      • K.6.2.1 Consolidated cells
      • K.6.2.2 Port Hope contaminated sites
      • K.6.2.3 Northern transportation route
      • K.6.2.4 Toronto area contaminated sites
      • K.6.2.5 Deloro Mine Site
    • K.6.3 Landfills
    • K.6.4 Devices containing radium luminous compounds
    • K.6.5 Other CLEAN program activities

Annex 1 - Federal Structure

  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Natural Resources Canada
  • 1.2 Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
  • 1.3 Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
  • 1.4 Low-level Radioactive Waste Management Office
  • 1.5 Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
  • 1.6 Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
  • 1.7 Health Canada
  • 1.8 Environment Canada
  • 1.9 Transport Canada

Annex 2 - Canadian Legislative System and Institutional Framework

  • 2.0 Introduction
  • 2.1 Nuclear Safety and Control Act
  • 2.2 Nuclear Energy Act
  • 2.3 Nuclear Fuel Waste Act
  • 2.4 Nuclear Liability Act
  • 2.5 Canadian Environmental Assessment

Annex 3 - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commision and the Regulatory Process

  • 3.0 Introduction
  • 3.1 Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA)
  • 3.2 Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (the CNSC)
  • 3.3 The CNSC in the government structure
  • 3.4 Organizational structure
  • 3.5 Regulatory philosophy and activities
  • 3.6 Regulatory framework
    • 3.6.1 The CNSC's regulatory documents
  • 3.7 Licensing process
  • 3.8 Licensing hearings
  • 3.9 Compliance
    • 3.9.1 The CNSC Compliance Program
  • 3.10 Cooperative undertakings
  • 3.11 The CNSC Outreach Program
    • 3.11.1.1 Framework for the CNSC's Outreach Program
    • 3.11.1.2 Stakeholders
    • 3.11.1.3 Definition of outreach

Annex 4 - Spent Fuel Storage Technologies in Canada

  • 4.1 Wet storage technology
    • 4.1.1 Bay liners
    • 4.1.2 Storage in wet bays
    • 4.1.3 Water pool chemical control
  • 4.2 Experiences with wet storage
  • 4.3 Dry storage technology
    • 4.3.1 AECL Concrete Canisters
    • 4.3.2 AECL MACSTORTM module
    • 4.3.3 Ontario Power Generation dry storage containers
  • 4.4 Experiences with dry storage
  • 4.5 Spent fuel storage facilities
    • 4.5.1 Pickering Nuclear Generating Station
    • 4.5.2 Pickering Waste Management Facility - Used Fuel Dry Storage
    • 4.5.3 Bruce Nuclear Generating Stations A and B
    • 4.5.4 Western Waste Management Facility - Used Fuel Dry Storage
    • 4.5.5 Darlington Nuclear Generating Station
    • 4.5.6 Darlington Waste Management Facility
    • 4.5.7 Gentilly-2 Nuclear Generating Station
    • 4.5.8 Hydro-Québec Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility
    • 4.5.9 Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station
    • 4.5.10 Point Lepreau Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility
    • 4.5.11 Douglas Point Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility
    • 4.5.12 Gentilly-1 Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility
    • 4.5.13 Chalk River Laboratories - Area G - Used Fuel Dry Storage Area
    • 4.5.14 Whiteshell Laboratories (WL) Used Fuel Storage Facility
    • 4.5.15 NRU Research Reactor
    • 4.5.16 McMaster Nuclear Reactor

Annex 5 - Radioactive Waste Management Facilities

  • 5.1 Radioactive Waste Management Methods
    • 5.1.1 Pickering Waste Management Facility - Re-tube Components Storage
    • 5.1.2 Western Waste Management Facility - Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste Storage
    • 5.1.3 Radioactive Waste Operations Site 1
    • 5.1.4 Hydro-Québec Waste Management Facility
    • 5.1.5 Point Lepreau Waste Management Facility
    • 5.1.6 Radioactive waste management at decommissioned reactor sites
      • 5.1.6.1 Douglas Point Waste Management Facility
      • 5.1.6.2 Gentilly-1 Waste Management Facility
      • 5.1.6.3 Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Management Facility
    • 5.1.7 AECL Nuclear Research and Test Establishment Facilities
      • 5.1.7.1 Chalk River Laboratories
        • 5.1.7.1.1 Waste Management Area A
        • 5.1.7.1.2 Waste Management Area B
        • 5.1.7.1.3 Waste Management Area C
        • 5.1.7.1.4 Waste Management Area D
        • 5.1.7.1.5 Waste Management Area E
        • 5.1.7.1.6 Waste Management Area F
        • 5.1.7.1.7 Waste Management Area G
        • 5.1.7.1.8 Waste Management Area H
        • 5.1.7.1.9 Liquid Dispersal Area
        • 5.1.7.1.10 Acid, Chemical and Solvent Pits
        • 5.1.7.1.11 Waste Tank Farm
        • 5.1.7.1.12 Ammonium Nitrate Decomposition Plant
        • 5.1.7.1.13 Thorium Nitrate Pit
        • 5.1.7.1.14 Glass Block Experiments
        • 5.1.7.1.15 Bulk Storage Area
        • 5.1.7.1.16 CRL Waste Treatment Centre (WTC)
      • 5.1.7.2 Whiteshell Laboratories
    • 5.1.8 Monserco Limited
    • 5.1.9 Cameco Blind River Refinery/Port Hope Conversion Facility/Port Hope Fuel Fabrication Facility Waste and By-Product Management

Annex 6 - Uranuim Mine and Mill Facilities

  • 6.1 Background
  • 6.2 Province of Saskatchewan
  • 6.3 Operational tailings and waste rock management strategy
    • 6.3.1 Overview
    • 6.3.2 Tailings management strategy
    • 6.3.3 Waste rock management strategy
    • 6.3.4 Wastewater treatment and effluent discharge
  • 6.4 Waste Management Facilities
    • 6.4.1 Key Lake
      • 6.4.1.1 Tailings management
      • 6.4.1.2 Waste rock management
      • 6.4.1.3 Contaminated industrial wastes
    • 6.4.2 Rabbit Lake
      • 6.4.2.1 Tailings management
      • 6.4.2.2 Waste rock management
      • 6.4.2.3 Contaminated industrial wastes
    • 6.4.3 McClean Lake
      • 6.4.3.1 Tailings management
      • 6.4.3.2 Waste rock management
      • 6.4.3.3 Contaminated industrial wastes
    • 6.4.4 Cigar Lake
      • 6.4.4.1 Tailings management
      • 6.4.4.2 Waste rock management
      • 6.4.4.3 Contaminated industrial wastes
    • 6.4.5 McArthur River
      • 6.4.5.1 Tailings management
      • 6.4.5.2 Waste rock management
      • 6.4.5.3 Contaminated industrial wastes

Annex 7 - Decommisioning Activities

  • 7.1 AECL Whiteshell Laboratories
    • 7.1.1 Underground Research Laboratory (URL)
  • 7.2 AECL Gentilly-1 Waste Management Facility
  • 7.3 AECL Douglas Point Waste Management Facility
  • 7.4 AECL Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Management Facility
  • 7.5 AECL Chalk River Laboratories decommissioning activities
    • 7.5.1 Pool Test Reactor
    • 7.5.2 Plutonium Recovery Laboratory
    • 7.5.3 Plutonium Tower
    • 7.5.4 Waste Water Evaporator
    • 7.5.5 National Research Experimental (NRX) Reactor
  • 7.6 Cluff Lake Project
    • 7.6.1 Mill area
      • 7.6.1.1 Mining area
    • 7.6.2 Tailings Management Area
    • 7.7 Bruce Heavy Water Plant

Annex 8 - Inactive Uranium Mines and Mills Tailings Management Areas

  • 8.1 Introduction
    • 8.1.1 Saskatchewan
      • 8.1.1.1 Beaverlodge
      • 8.1.1.2 Gunnar and Lorado
    • 8.1.2 Northwest Territories
      • 8.1.2.1 Port Radium
      • 8.1.2.2 Rayrock
    • 8.1.3 Ontario
      • 8.1.3.1 Elliot Lake area
      • 8.1.3.2 Agnew Lake
      • 8.1.3.3 Bancroft area
        • 8.1.3.3.1 Dyno Idle Mine Site
        • 8.1.3.3.2 Madawaska Mine Site
        • 8.1.3.3.3 Bicroft Tailings Storage Facility
  • 8.2 Contaminated lands
    • 8.2.1 Contaminated land under institutional control
      • 8.2.1.1 Consolidated cells
      • 8.2.1.2 Fort McMurray
      • 8.2.1.3 Fort Smith
      • 8.2.1.4 Passmore Storage Cell
      • 8.2.1.5 Tulita
      • 8.2.1.6 Peterborough
      • 8.2.1.7 Lakeshore Road
      • 8.2.1.8 Deloro
    • 8.2.2 Historic contaminated lands
      • 8.2.2.1 Fort Fitzgerald
      • 8.2.2.2 Sahtu Region
      • 8.2.2.3 Toronto, Ontario
      • 8.2.2.4 Port Hope Area Initiative for the long-term management of historic low-level radioactive wastes
      • 8.2.2.5 Port Hope contaminated sites

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