Minister’s Statement on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s 2018 Annual Report

Nuclear energy is an important part of Canada’s energy mix, and a key contributor to Canada’s low-carbon economy.

That is why it is essential that we find solutions for the long-term management of radioactive waste. We need to maintain the safety and environmental integrity of Canadian nuclear energy.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is vital to all of this. It is responsible for implementing Canada’s plan for managing nuclear fuel waste in ways that are technically sound, environmentally responsible and economically feasible.

The NWMO’s 2018 Annual Report outlines the organization’s efforts over the past year to deliver on its mandate. For example, the Report highlights how the NWMO is engaging with communities and government, supporting public outreach and education, advancing research and technology development, and fostering international collaboration. It also describes the NWMO’s extensive efforts to build trust and partnerships with Indigenous communities and municipalities.

Central to its work is the NWMO’s ongoing process to identify a safe and suitable site to host a deep geological repository for Canada’s nuclear fuel waste. Five communities in Ontario continue to explore the possibility of hosting the facility, and the NWMO completed the drilling of its first borehole at one of the sites. The NWMO’s open and cooperative approach is critical to the success of this process.

Through its work, the NWMO is also helping deliver on the Government of Canada’s priorities to foster clean growth, encourage the next generation of professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and advance Indigenous reconciliation.

Last year, the NWMO took significant steps towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by acknowledging historical wrongs in Canada’s past and the need to create a better future. This acknowledgement formed part of the NWMO’s Reconciliation Statement, which was finalized through an Indigenous ceremony in July 2018.

I invite you to learn more about the NWMO’s work by reading this new Report.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources

June 25, 2019