Licensing review process for waste management facilities
The CNSC initiates the licensing process once it receives an application from an applicant. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Rules of Procedure require the application to be filed with the Commission Registrar, along with payment of the prescribed fee set out in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Cost Recovery Fees Regulations.
The licence application identifies the applicant, provides a project description, and sets out a proposed schedule for completing the licensing process. Applicants are also encouraged to provide a schedule of submissions for all required information.
Licensing
Section 3 of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations lists the information that must be included in all licence applications. For example, applications must cover:
- management structure
- radiation protection
- security
- waste management
CNSC staff conduct technical assessments of the information submitted by an applicant to determine whether it meets the regulatory requirements of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) and its regulations, CNSC requirements and expectations, international and domestic standards, and applicable international obligations. The CNSC’s assessment incorporates input from other federal and provincial government departments, including those responsible for regulating health and safety, environmental protection, emergency preparedness, and the transportation of dangerous goods.
Once the assessment of an applicant’s information is complete, CNSC staff make recommendations on the licence application to the Commission or a designated officer. Each decision to license is based on information that demonstrates that the activity or the operation of a given facility can be carried out safely and that the environment is protected.
A licence application may be subject to other legislation and regulations. There are different types of environmental reviews that a proposed project may be subject to, depending on the location of the project and its design. For example, an impact assessment under the Impact Assessment Act may be required for a designated project regulated under the NSCA and described in the Physical Activities Regulations, while an environmental protection review may be carried out under the NSCA for projects not listed in those regulations.
Once a licence is issued, the CNSC carries out compliance activities to verify that the licensee is complying with the NSCA, associated regulations and its licence.
Licensing process for Class I nuclear facilities
The CNSC’s licensing process for Class I nuclear facilities follows the stages laid out in the NSCA’s Class I Nuclear Facilities Regulations, progressing through each stage in a facility’s lifecycle. The regulations list the information required to support an application to conduct the following activities:
- prepare a site
- construct
- operate
- decommission
- abandon
If the necessary applications are filed with the required information, the Commission may, at its discretion, issue a licence that includes multiple activities (e.g., a licence to prepare site and construct, or a licence to construct and operate). A single licence may also be issued for multiple facilities, each at a different stage in their lifecycle.
Specific information on licence applications for each stage in the lifecycle of a Class I nuclear facility can be found in REGDOC-3.5.1, Licensing Process for Class I Nuclear Facilities and Uranium Mines and Mills.
Compliance
When the CNSC receives a licence application, staff evaluate it to determine whether the proposed safety and control measures described in the application and the documents needed to support the application meet requirements.
If the Commission grants a licence, the CNSC will ensure that the proponent/licensee meets all legal and regulatory requirements and all licence conditions through regular compliance activities.
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Classification vs characterization
Classification and characterization have similar-sounding names but are 2 different things. Classification of radioactive waste refers to the degree of containment and isolation that is required to ensure safety. In Canada, the radioactive waste classification system is divided into 4 general classes:
- low-level radioactive waste (LLW)
- intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW)
- high-level radioactive waste (HLW)
- uranium mine and mill tailings.
LLW includes the following subclasses:
- very low-level radioactive waste
- very short-lived low-level radioactive waste
Characterization of radioactive waste refers to its properties (physical, mechanical, chemical, biological, thermal and radiological) to ensure that it is safely managed and that it meets the waste acceptance criteria of its accepting facility (storage or disposal).
Regulatory documents on nuclear waste
- REGDOC-2.12.3, Security of Nuclear Substances: Sealed Sources and Category I, II and III Nuclear Material
- REGDOC-3.5.3, Regulatory Fundamentals
- REGDOC-3.2.1, Public Information and Disclosure
- REGDOC-3.2.2, Indigenous Engagement
- REGDOC-1.2.1, Guidance on Deep Geological Repository Site Characterization
- REGDOC-2.11, Framework for Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning in Canada
- REGDOC-2.11.1, Waste Management, Volume I: Management of Radioactive Waste
- REGDOC-2.11.1, Waste Management, Volume II: Management of Uranium Mine Waste Rock and Mill Tailings
- REGDOC-2.11.1, Waste Management, Volume III: Safety Case for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste
- REGDOC-2.11.2, Decommissioning
- REGDOC-3.3.1, Financial Guarantees for Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and Termination of Licensed Activities
- REGDOC-3.5.1, Licensing Process for Class I Nuclear Facilities and Uranium Mines and Mills
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