2022 Reports 6 to 10 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada—Government does a good job of managing low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste

2022 Reports 6 to 10 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of CanadaGovernment does a good job of managing low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste

Ottawa, 4 October 2022—A report released today by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco concludes that Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited did a good job of managing the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, which represents the bulk of radioactive waste in Canada. Understanding how Canada manages radioactive waste is important to minimize the burden of that waste on future generations.

The majority of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s inventory of radioactive waste consists of historic waste, most of which is contaminated soils dating back to the 1930s, and legacy waste, which is from past federal government operations. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has worked to better understand and address this waste through various efforts, including the Port Hope Area Initiative.

The audit also found that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission applied a graded approach when verifying the compliance of facilities, which aligns with international standards and means that the degree of effort related to the assessment matches the facility’s level of risk.

“Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and Atomic Energy of Canada did a good job of managing both levels of waste, which make up 99.5% of Canada’s radioactive waste,” said Mr. DeMarco. “The organizations managed this waste in accordance with both national and international standards that help protect the environment as well as the safety of current and future generations.”

Natural Resources Canada began a modernization of its radioactive waste management policy. The new policy is expected to be released later this year.

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The 2022 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 6—Management of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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