It’s good news for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has accepted the environmental assessment for their Near Surface Disposal Facility. The facility will allow for the storage of low-level radioactive waste and will have an operating life of at least 50 years.
However, the storage facility will be fully reinforced. The engineered mound will include lined and covered systems, as well as ways to monitor the environment and detect leaks. A wastewater treatment plant will be installed, as well as infrastructure to monitor and maintain the storage.
However, this is not the final step of the process. The application to build the site now goes to the Commission Secretariat of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, who will be scheduling a public hearing. The date of that hearing has yet to be announced.