Saugeen Shores
Overview
In January 2014, we concluded Preliminary Assessment (Step 3: Phase 1) studies in the area. Early findings indicated there was limited potential to meet the geoscientific criteria required to host a used nuclear fuel repository.
In light of these findings, Saugeen Shores is no longer a focus of study in the site selection process.
Information detailing assessment work we completed in Saugeen Shores through steps one to three of the site selection process is contained below.
Step 1: NWMO Initiates the Process
The process began with a broad program to provide information, answer questions and build awareness about the project. Awareness-building activities are designed to continue throughout the site selection process.
In Step 1, we provided general information to those who requested it. We began assessment activities in Step 2: Initial Screening only after individual communities formally expressed an interest in learning more.
Step 2: Initial Screening
In May 2012, Saugeen Shores’ Mayor and Council passed a resolution requesting an initial screening of the community's potential suitability to host the project. This screening took us about three months to complete and involved a review based on readily available information about the area and its geology.
We encouraged communities that passed the initial screening to begin learning more about the project. We provided an initial briefing and invited representatives to take a tour of an interim storage facility for used nuclear fuel. We also encouraged communities to meet with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to learn about the regulatory framework that will govern the project.
Saugeen Shores’ initial screening was completed in September 2012. It did not identify any obvious conditions that would exclude the Saugeen Shores area from further consideration in the site selection process.
Resources:
Step 3: Phase 1 - Desktop Studies and Engagement
In May 2013, Saugeen Shores' Mayor and Council passed a resolution asking the NWMO to initiate a Preliminary Assessment (Step 3: Phase 1) of the community's potential suitability to host the project.
In January 2014, we concluded Preliminary Assessment studies in the area. Early findings indicated there was limited potential to meet the geoscientific criteria required to host a used nuclear fuel repository.
We identified the Ordovician Cobourg Formation, at a depth of 500 metres, as the preferred host rock for the repository if it were located within this region. Saugeen Shores contains a number of constraints that greatly reduce the prospect for finding areas that are large enough for hosting the repository’s surface and underground facilities.
In light of these findings, Saugeen Shores is no longer a focus of study in the site selection process.
Information detailing assessment work we completed in Saugeen Shores through steps one to three of the site selection process is contained below.
Resources
- Letter to Mayors of Arran-Elderslie and Saugeen Shores RE: Step 3 Interim Findings
- Technical Memorandum - Interim Results of Geoscientific Preliminary Assessment, Sedimentary Sites, Southern Ontario
- Integrated Preliminary Assessment Report - Saugeen Shores
- Phase 1 Geoscientific Desktop Preliminary Assessment of Potential Suitability for Siting a Deep Geological Repository
- Phase 1 Geoscientific Desktop Preliminary Assessment, Terrain and Remote Sensing Study
- Geoscientific Desktop Preliminary Assessment, Processing and Interpretation of Borehole Geophysical Log and 2D Seismic Data
- Geoscientific Desktop Preliminary Assessment, Processing and Interpretation of Geophysical Data
