Radioactive waste
Under section 2 of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), radioactive waste in Canada is defined as any material (liquid, gaseous or solid) that contains a radioactive nuclear substance for which no further use is foreseen. In addition to containing nuclear substances, radioactive waste may also contain hazardous substances that are not radioactive, as defined in section 1 of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations.
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Overview
Under section 2 of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), radioactive waste in Canada is defined as any material (liquid, gaseous or solid) that contains a radioactive nuclear substance for which no further use is foreseen.
Oversight and management of Canada’s radioactive waste
Oversight and management of Canada’s radioactive waste
Radioactive waste classes
Learn more about low-, intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste and how it is stored and disposed of.
Uranium mines and mills waste
The main types of waste generated by the mining and milling of uranium ore are tailings and waste rock.
Licensing review process
The licensing process begins once an application is received from an applicant.
Transportation of radioactive waste
The CNSC and Transport Canada share responsibility for the safe transport of nuclear substances, including radioactive waste.
Historic nuclear waste
Historic low-level waste consists of soil contaminated with uranium and radium, at sites located in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Port Hope and Clarington
The bulk of Canada's historic waste is located in the Ontario communities of Port Hope and Clarington.
Toronto area
The low-level contamination in the Toronto area comes from production of radioluminescent dials.
Northern sites
From the early 1930s to the 1950s, uranium ore was transported over 2,200 km by the Northern Transportation Route (NTR) from Port Radium (on Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories) to the railhead at Waterways (now Fort McMurray, Alberta).
Deep geological repositories
A deep geological repository is constructed underground, usually at a depth of several hundred metres or more below the surface in a stable rock formation.
Map: Radioactive waste management
This map provides you with the location and type of nuclear facility.
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