Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Summary

As announced on October 24,2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization was established by the nuclear energy corporations (Ontario Power Generation Inc., Hydro-Québec and New Brunswick Power Corporation) under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. The purpose of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization is to do the following on a non-profit basis:

• propose to the Government of Canada approaches for the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste; and
• implement the approach that is selected by the Governor in Council.

The nuclear energy corporations shall remain a member or shareholder of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization as long as they are the owners of nuclear fuel waste.

Advisory Council

Under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization created an Advisory Council. The purpose of the Advisory Council is to:

• examine the study setting out approaches for the management of nuclear fuel waste and the triennial reports; and
• give written comments on that study and those reports to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.

The members of the Advisory Council are appointed by the governing body of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. The Advisory Council's membership as indicated under the Act, should:

• reflect a broad range of scientific and technical disciplines related to the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste;
• reflect expertise, in matters of nuclear energy, (in public affairs and as needed, in other social sciences);
• reflect expertise in traditional aboriginal knowledge; and
• include representatives nominated by local and regional governments and aboriginal organizations that are affected because their economic region is specified for the approach that the Governor in Council selects.