Yes. Thanks very much.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. It's an honour to appear before you today as one of my first official acts as the new president and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, or NWMO. My colleagues Derek Wilson and Elena Mantagaris are also here today to assist with any questions you may have.
I'd like to provide some background on the work currently under way at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and provide an overview of where Canada stands relative to our peers in the world.
First of all, Canada has the required framework to move forward with safely managing used nuclear fuel over the long term. We have the benefit of a clear federal policy, a federal act, robust regulations, and sufficient funding. At the NWMO, our current work is focused on identifying an informed and willing host for a deep geologic repository. Our goal is to achieve a partnership with interested municipalities, first nations, and Métis communities, working together to implement the significant national infrastructure project that we have in front of us.
Let me run through a little bit of our history. The NWMO was established in 2002 by Canada's nuclear electricity producers as a requirement of the federal Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. Our mandate is to work collaboratively with Canadians to design and implement Canada's plan for the safe long-term management of used nuclear fuel. As a requirement of the act, we submit an annual report to the Minister of Natural Resources, who tables it in Parliament and issues a public statement within 90 days of receiving it. The 2015 statement indicated the following: “The Government of Canada believes strongly in the importance of the NWMO’s mandate, and will continue to ensure that the organization fulfills its responsibilities under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act as it implements Canada’s plan for nuclear fuel waste.”
Ontario Power Generation, New Brunswick Power Corporation, and Hydro-Québec are the founding members of the NWMO. Along with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, they are required to fund our operations. Trust and segregated funds have been established and are funded.
The Nuclear Fuel Waste Act required the NWMO to study approaches for managing used nuclear fuel and recommend an approach to the Minister of Natural Resources. In 2005, after a three-year dialogue that included 120 information sessions in every province and territory, the NWMO proposed an approach that best reflected priorities and values expressed by Canadians. We called that approach “adaptive phased management”, or APM.
The Government of Canada then selected APM in June 2007. The plan includes centralized safe containment and isolation of used nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository located in an informed and willing host community. Following the government's decision, the NWMO undertook an additional two years of engagement with Canadians to collaboratively develop a fair and ethical site selection process that identifies technical and social criteria for suitability.
In May 2010, when the site selection process was initiated, 22 communities came forward and expressed interest in learning about this approximately $22-billion project. Following the initial screenings and preliminary assessments, the number of communities has been narrowed down to nine in Ontario. No decision has been made yet by any community to host the deep geologic repository. Like the NWMO, all are still learning. Over the next several years, NWMO will be doing technical studies and working with communities to identify a preferred site, followed by regulatory approvals. We estimate that the repository will be in service between 2040 and 2045.
There is international consensus that repositories are the responsible approach for managing used nuclear fuel over the long term. For instance, the IAEA and NEA recognize geologic disposal as a safe and permanent solution.
Like other countries, Canada is moving forward with an environmentally responsible approach that protects people and the environment. For example, Finland, Sweden, and France are all moving forward with repository programs. The U.S. Department of Energy is initiating a consent-based process to site a repository.
The NWMO is committed to excellence in research efforts. Since 2010 we have worked with 21 Canadian universities and colleges, as well as international centres of learning, on over 85 research projects. The NWMO is also working with research partners in Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland.
Adaptive phased management requires that the NWMO ensure technological innovations are incorporated in how we advance Canada's plan. For example, the NWMO has developed an innovative containment system with existing proven technology that is optimized for used CANDU fuel. This system can be manufactured entirely in Canadian facilities and could be used by companies looking to export Canadian expertise and materials in managing the back end of the CANDU fuel cycle. Adaptive phased management gives our organization the flexibility to respond to technological innovations and future changes in the nuclear sector, while ensuring the core mission of the organization can continue.
In conclusion, as stewards of Canada's plan, we take our responsibility to protect people and the environment extremely seriously. As mentioned earlier, we have all of the necessary frameworks in place to move forward.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you.