The NWMO is committed to transparency, and our annual implementation plans are one way we demonstrate that commitment. These plans are living documents. They evolve and grow over time.
Each year, we update our plans to reflect progress in our work, input from communities, advances in science and technology, insight from Indigenous Knowledge, and evolving societal values and public policy. This planning period is the first to look beyond our expected site selection date of 2023.
Identifying a single, preferred site for used nuclear fuel represents a transformative milestone for the NWMO. This decision will bring to an end the site selection process we initiated in 2010.
It will also mark the beginning of a new series of activities, such as implementing partnership agreements with host communities; furthering the safety case for the identified site; constructing a Centre of Expertise; preparing for and participating in regulatory processes; and getting ready to move our operations to the site that is selected.
The work outlined in this plan covers this important transition. We have updated our work plans to reflect our continuing efforts to identify a preferred site, as well as the preparation we are beginning to undertake to ensure readiness for all activities that follow.
While we navigate this change, we will maintain our organizational commitment to fairness, transparency and a dialogue-driven process. Your input and feedback help inform our work, and now is an important time for us to hear from you. Included at the back of this document is a summary of the comments we received after publishing last year’s plan in March 2019. We invited comments until July 12, 2019.
If you would like to comment on the latest plan as outlined in these pages, please get in touch with us by mail, email, or fax, or through our website or social media platforms, any time through to June 10, 2020. To help you share your thoughts with us, we have included a questionnaire on the last page.
This is Canada’s plan. This is your plan. We welcome your suggestions and ideas.