Environment Committee on March 3rd, 2022

[Ramzi Jammal]

The protection of the environment is key for every assessment and oversight. It doesn't matter if the material is being transported or not.

On safeguards, again, there is an obligation under the IAEA to safeguard the material, if that's the question. IAEA inspectors come to sites in Canada and verify the safeguards with respect to inventory. Safeguarding the environment is our priority, if that was the question. Millions of packages are being transported around the world, including over a million on a yearly basis in Canada, and the protection of the environment is inherent to the design of the packaging.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Mazier.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you, Chair.

Good evening, everyone.

First, to the safety commission, has the transportation of nuclear waste resulted in any radioactive incidents in Canadian history?

[Rumina Velshi]

Mr. Mazier, the transportation has an impeccable record in over 60 years of transportation. As Mr. Jammal just said, globally there's over 10 million packages a year, and in Canada over a million a year. There has not been an incident that has impacted the environment or the safety of individuals.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Excellent. It's very safe transportation.

How many civilians have been harmed by nuclear waste in Canada?

[Rumina Velshi]

Zero.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Wow. That's good.

How much has the government invested in research and development in reusing and recycling spent nuclear fuel?

[Rumina Velshi]

It's not a question that I can answer. Maybe Ms. Johnson can answer that. It's not something the regulator has knowledge on.

[Mollie Johnson]

I don't have a number off the top of my head, but it's something we can look at and get back to the committee on.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Perfect. If you could forward that, it would be great.

Next, to NRCan, it's clear from previous witness testimony that SMRs are a major opportunity in addressing climate change. Is SMR waste disposal different from standard nuclear waste disposal? If so, will the government be presenting a specific plan for the disposal of SMR waste?

[Mollie Johnson]

That's great. I'm going to ask Mr. Hannah to speak about SMRs and the waste they produce, then Mr. Delaney can speak to the disposal side.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Mr. Hannah.

[Justin Hannah, Director, Nuclear Energy Division, Department of Natural Resources]

There are a number of technologies that are currently being considered for deployment in Canada. They do have a number of various characteristics that will be considered as part of their waste disposal processes. Currently within the SMR action plan and in consultations with industry, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization is working with various developers to understand their waste, to invest in the R and D required to contain, manage and safely dispose of this waste.

However, in the fullness of time, it will take a number of years to decide in the end what waste will be used for SMR deployment in Canada. It is still not determined, of the multiple technologies that are being deployed in Canada, which ones will actually be built and which ones will produce waste that will ultimately be put in the final waste repository.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Are there any other comments?

[Jim Delaney, Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Department of Natural Resources]

I'll jump in as well. To build on what Justin had mentioned as well, under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act they would be responsible for management of spent fuel regardless of whether that's the existing CANDU fuel or SMR waste down the road.

There was a question about the funding. I know there was some funding to the Moltex project through ISED's program, and some of that funding as well is to actually do the research to better understand the waste streams that would come [Technical difficulty--Editor]

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Delaney, can you get those numbers to the committee? Can you get hold of how much money was actually spent on the research for it so far? Would that be possible?

[Jim Delaney]

Yes, we can come up with the values for sure.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I guess the SMR research is very much in the infancy of trying to find out what we're going to do with the waste and even what kind of waste is going on there. The industry is generally looking at it, so that's good.

I'll go back to safety. If no community agrees to be the host of DGRs, what is the government's plan for storing high-level radioactive waste?

[Mollie Johnson]

The adaptive phased management process has been under way since it was adopted in 2007, but ultimately if communities decide that they do not want to take that on and the decision, as Ms. Velshi noted, was for 2023, it will continue to be stored in the interim facilities as it is done right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Mr. Mazier, you have 10 seconds.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I guess there is no plan. If these communities decide not to take it, there is no plan, really. It will just keep on being stored on the surface. We'll be right back to where we started from, basically, or is there a plan B?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Give a yes or no answer, please.

[Mollie Johnson]

Mr. Delaney.

[Jim Delaney]

I would just say that the NWMO would continue to work with Canadians to decide the best path forward for that waste disposal.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thanks very much.