Panel Report

Introduction

The Environmental Assessment Panel is to undertake a review of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.'s (AECL) concept of geologic disposal of nuclear fuel wastes in Canada along with a broad range of nuclear fuel waste management issues. It will examine AECL's proposed concept along with other approaches for nuclear fuel waste disposal being developed elsewhere in the world.

As a result of this review, the Panel will make recommendations to assist the governments of Canada and Ontario in reaching decisions on the acceptability of the disposal concept and on the steps that must be taken to ensure the safe long-term management of nuclear fuel wastes in Canada.

Project Proposal Backgrouund

In 1977, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources commissioned an independent expert group to provide the government and the public of Canada with views on the subject of nuclear waste disposal. Its report concluded that, after considering the available options, burial in geological formations of igneous rock in the Canadian Shield was the preferred option for research in Canada.

In June 1978, the governments of Canada and Ontario announced a program of research and development to assess whether permanent disposal in a deep underground repository in intrusive igneous rock is a safe, secure and desirable method of disposing of nuclear fuel wastes. Since 1978, as directed by the Government of Canada, AECL has been pursuing a research program on the immobilization and disposal of nuclear fuel wastes. Ontario Hydro has supported AECL's work and pursued its own related studies on interim storage and transportation of used nuclear fuel.

In August 1981, the governments of Canada and Ontario jointly announced a process for the evaluation of the disposal concept. It was agreed then that no site selection for a permanent disposal facility would be undertaken until the concept had undergone a public review and had been accepted by both governments.

Scope of the Review

The Panel will review the safety and acceptability of AECL's concept of geological disposal of nuclear fuel wastes in Canada, along with a broad range of nuclear fuel waste management issues.

To facilitate evaluation of scientific and technical matters, a Scientific Review Group of distinguished independent experts will be established by the Panel to conduct a specific in-depth examination of the safety and scientific acceptability of AECL's concept of disposal in intrusive igneous rock formations of the Canadian Shield. A report on their findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Panel which will distribute it to the public. The Scientific Review Group will also provide advice on other issues to the Panel when requested.

Nuclear fuel wastes consist of solid used fuel bundles discharged from CANDU reactors or derived high-level radioactive waste, should the used fuel ever be reprocessed at some future date. They do not include intermediate and low-level radioactive wastes such as components of a decommissioned nuclear reactor or uranium tailings.

In its review, the Panel will take into consideration the various approaches to the long-term management of nuclear fuel wastes which are presently being stored at reactor sites. These long-term management approaches include long-term storage with a capability for continuing intervention in the form of monitoring, retrieval and remedial action; and the transition from storage to permanent disposal. In addition, the impact of transportation of nuclear fuel wastes to a generic site will also be examined.

After considering various geological media, the government of Canada directed AECL to concentrate its research resources on intrusive igneous rock formations of the Canadian Shield as the preferred geological medium for developing its disposal concept. In reviewing AECL's concept, the Panel should become fully aware of the programs of other leading countries in this field, in particular those countries' consideration of different geological media and their development of appropriate plans and schedules for siting and construction of nuclear fuel waste management facilities.

In conducting its review, the Panel will include the examination of the criteria by which safety and accept-ability of a concept for long-term waste management and disposal should be evaluated. The Panel will also examine the general criteria for the management of nuclear fuel wastes as compared to those for wastes from other energy and industrial sources. In addition, the impact of recycling or other processes on the volume of wastes should be examined.

In examining the future steps to be taken with respect to the management of nuclear fuel wastes in Canada, the Panel will take into consideration the degree to which we should relieve future generations of the burden of looking after the wastes. It should also examine the social, economic and environmental implications of a possible nuclear fuel waste management facility.

Since site selection will not take place until a disposal concept has been accepted as safe, the Panel shall not consider any specific potential sites. However, the Panel may review the methodology required to characterize sites and the potential availability of sites in Canada. It may also review general criteria for site selection and advise governments on a future site selection process in addition to examining, in general terms, the costs and benefits to potential host communities.

The energy policies of Canada and the provinces; the role of nuclear energy within these policies, including the construction, operation and safety of new or existing nuclear power plants; fuel reprocessing as an energy policy; and military applications of nuclear technology are issues that are outside the panel's mandate and should not be addressed during the review.

Review Process

The Panel review will be conducted under the requirements of the federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process (EARP) and should concentrate its activities in those provinces where nuclear reactors are located: Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.

The Scientific Review Group will report its findings to the Panel and its report will be part of the documentation for the public review.

The main components of the review process will be as follows:

1. Formation of the Panel and release of its Terms of Reference;
2. Preparation and issuance by the Panel of the Operational Procedures for the review;
3. Formation of the Scientific Review Group (SRG) by the Panel, and issuance of its terms of reference;
4. Convening of public scoping workshops;
5. Release of the Panel draft guidelines to the public, government agencies and the proponent for review and comment;
6. Finalization of guidelines and issuance to the proponent;
7. Completion of the proponent's documentation in response to the guidelines and submission of it to the Panel;
8. Distribution of the proponent's documentation by the Panel to the SRG, the public and to the government agencies;
9. Review of the proponent's documentation by the SRG, the public and government agencies;
10. Submission of the SRG report on the safety and acceptability of AECL's concept for geological disposal of nuclear fuel wastes;
11. Panel's request for additional information if deficiencies are identified;
12. Completion of the proponent's response to deficiencies and submission of it to the Panel;
13. Convening of public hearings by the Panel to review the environmental, safety, health and socio-economic implications of the proposal;
14. Preparation of the Panel's final report addressing
    1. whether AECL's concept for geological disposal of nuclear fuel wastes is safe and acceptable or should be modified;
    2. the future steps to be taken in the management of nuclear fuel wastes in Canada; and
15. Submission of the Panel's final report to the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.