Thank you very much.
Basically, we have been able to reduce the liabilities and risk associated with this program. This program has been around since 2006 and has provided over $1.1 million, so basically $1 million, in funding over nine years to implement to the program up to March 2015. In February 2013, the Minister of Natural Resources announced that Canada would undertake a competitive procurement process to seek a contractor that will continue to manage the operations associated with managing our nuclear waste, and we're in the midst of doing that right now.
The program was extended $231.3 million for this current year's worth of funding. It hasn't been extended into the future at this point, because with the introduction of that new contractor model, it is expected to move from the department over to the contractor to deliver that.
The funds will also be used to make further progress on highly enriched uranium reparation initiatives, continue decommissioning activities at AECL's Chalk River and Whiteshell Laboratories, and implement initiatives and activities to prepare for the transition to the government-owned, contractor-operated management model, including upgrading the software system for the waste inventory database and advancing strategies and planning for future work.
This liability program is also recognized as part of the overall help to support the reduction of the $6.3 billion that are recognized in the public accounts of Canada as an environmental liability.