International experience on display at Nuclear Waste Forum

In Finland, construction is almost complete on the world’s first permanent, underground storage facility for nuclear waste.

“It is wonderful to say that we are the first to do this, but of course, it is a lot of work. Because, there are no examples,” said Tina Jalonen, Senior V-P of Posiva Oy, Finland’s nuclear waste management organization.

Canada may soon be following in Finland’s footsteps by building their own Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for used nuclear fuel. It could end up under 1500 acres of farmland near Teeswater, Ont., which is why the potential host community held the South Bruce Nuclear Exploration Forum this week.

Attendees heard from local, regional, and international experts on the controversial and complicated plan.

“I promised we’d get the information back to the community, and I think it’s only fair that the individuals make those decisions for themselves. And, we’ll see what happens,” said the Mayor of the Municipality of South Bruce, Mark Goetz.

By the end of 2024, residents in the Municipality of South Bruce will decide via referendum if they want to house the 5.5 million bundles of used nuclear fuel in a massive underground facility within their borders.

It will mean as many as 600 long-term operational jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity, but it will also mean housing radioactive nuclear waste, forever.

“It will be future generations who decide that they have enough data, enough monitoring, that they feel comfortable closing the repository,” said Lise Morton, V-P of Site Selection, for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). NWMO is tasked with finding a permanent home for Canada’s high level nuclear waste.

Sweden is five to six years away from building their own DGR for their used nuclear fuel. Jacob Spangenberg is the former mayor of the host community of Osthammar.

“There’s a high amount of pride of the process and effort. And that we are pioneering something, together with Finland, that is one of its kind, so to speak,” said Spangenberg.

Along with South Bruce, Canada’s DGR project also requires the support of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), whose traditional lands encompass the proposed waste facility. They will also hold a community referendum to determine their support for the project or not.

Three years ago, SON residents voted down plans to bury Ontario’s low and intermediate level nuclear waste near Lake Huron.

"Here's the pros, here's the cons. Looking at the duality of that decision. The good and the bad," said Saugeen First Nation Chief Conrad Ritchie. 

“The community has an important decision ahead of them, and they need as much information as they can to make a really great decision on whether this is the right project for the community,” said Morton.

In Finland, it’s a done deal. That country’s used nuclear fuel goes underground within the next two years.

“It will stay there. It will be isolated. It will be in the containers. It will stay there, forever,” said Jalonen.

The NWMO will choose between Ignace in Northern Ontario, and the Municipality of South Bruce, to permanently host Canada’s used nuclear fuel by the end of 2024.