Canadian Radioactive Waste Summit begins March 30

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced it will host the Canadian Radioactive Waste Summit from March 30 to April 1, 2021 and invites interested Canadians to attend.

This free on-line event will bring together people from across the country to share their views on the guiding principles and priorities that should inform the development of an integrated strategy for the long-term management of radioactive waste in Canada.  

The Summit provides a space for diverse perspectives on the important issues related to nuclear waste management. In this effort, the NWMO has invited speakers representing Indigenous peoples, civil society organizations, industry, municipal officials, youth and international organizations. 

“Radioactive waste is being safely managed today, but there are gaps in long-term plans, specifically for low-level and intermediate level radioactive waste. Developing an integrated strategy means that we are not leaving this to future generations to resolve,” said Karine Glenn, strategic project director for the NWMO. 

“The Summit is open to everyone. It is important to us that we engage a variety of voices in the process to identify and build common ground on which the strategy can be built, as well as understand points of difference. Our goal is to better understand the key considerations that matter to Canadians and Indigenous peoples.”   

The Summit will be followed, over several months, by a series of engagement activities with communities and interested parties, and technical workshops to explore the values, priorities, and the merits and trade-offs of different options for Canada’s radioactive waste.

Canada’s integrated strategy for radioactive waste represents a next step, that builds on work previously done on radioactive waste management planning, to identify and address any gaps, and to look further into the future. The integrated strategy being developed by the NWMO will be informed by the Government of Canada’s radioactive waste management policy review. 

For more information on the Canadian Radioactive Waste Summit and to register for this free virtual event, visit radwasteplanning.ca.