A home for spent fuel

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2024 (481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What if I told you nuclear waste was one of the truly good news stories in the Canadian environmental landscape? What if I said that this good news story spotlights citizen participation, respect for Indigenous sovereignty, and local economic development? In fact, Canada has become a world leader in safely and responsibly stewarding the process of nuclear waste storage.

And by doing so, we can invest confidently in nuclear power — a crucial tool in the fight against climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been clear that most pathways to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees require major investments in nuclear energy. While Manitoba doesn’t rely on nuclear power, it generates more than half of Ontario’s electricity, and is a key feature of the province’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

International experts agree that we cannot meet climate change targets without significantly increasing nuclear power generation. The safe storage of spent nuclear fuel is an important piece of that equation.

Last Wednesday, in the Township of Ignace in Northwestern Ontario, we saw a shining example of consent-based stewardship when local citizens voted to express interest in hosting a deep geological repository beneath the town. The vote is a major milestone of the $26-billion project, led by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), to safely store and dispose of Canada’s spent nuclear fuel.

The NWMO doesn’t define for a community what consent looks like. For Ignace, this meant undertaking in-depth education, engaging with residents through door-knocking, reporting on the engagement process, and taking a vote at their town council. It meant informing themselves on the numerous safeguards in place to protect the environment while storing nuclear fuel.

The successful vote is another giant step towards results for all parties. The long-term project will create an abundance of stable, well-paid, quality jobs — defining features of Ontario’s heavily unionized nuclear sector. These local jobs will bring economic revitalization to the region.

It is important that efforts to decarbonize Canada’s economy are done in partnership with affected Indigenous communities. For the project to go ahead in Northwestern Ontario, the NWMO will also need to obtain consent from the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.

The site is within their traditional territory, and the NWMO has respected principles of free, prior, and informed consent as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Like Ignace, the First Nation will establish their own process to decide if they support the project.

For over a decade, the NWMO has been engaging in in-depth geological, engineering, and environmental studies to identify a region where nuclear fuel can be safely stored. After years of scientific analysis, the NWMO established Ignace and the surrounding area as one of two safe and feasible locations.

As president of the Society of United Professionals, I’m proud of our members whose work safeguards Canadians. Engineers, environmental scientists, nuclear safety scientists, geologists, and community engagement professionals will ensure that the project meets the high safety standards of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The international scientific consensus is that the deep geological repository planned for the selected site is the gold standard for nuclear fuel storage. It will use a multibarrier system to isolate the fuel from the surrounding rock, which is seismically stable.

It is stored deep underground at approximately 500-700 feet. That’s roughly the height of the CN Tower. At this depth, there is separation from the watershed, ensuring safety that will meet the test of time.

And that $26 billion price tag, how will we pay for that? It’s already paid for, and the money is in the bank. A portion of the proceeds from every kilowatt of nuclear energy sold is put into a trust fund. The nuclear energy industry does not externalize the costs of dealing with its waste onto the public, and no other form of energy can say the same.

Because Ignace engaged in a meaningful consultation process with its residents and educated itself on the management of nuclear energy, the township has positioned itself for success, while facilitating success for the nuclear energy sector. We can take pride in Canada’s model for nuclear fuel storage.

Michelle Johnston is the president of the Society of United Professionals.