We have published updated 2023 Confidence in Safety reports for each of the two potential sites under consideration to host a deep geological repository to store Canada’s used nuclear fuel.

These reports are based on years of research and fieldwork, and build on the previous 2022 Confidence in Safety reports. The reports support the conclusion that a deep geological repository can be constructed at either site to safely and responsibly manage Canada’s used nuclear fuel for the long term.

After a site is selected, more studies will be undertaken to further inform the repository design and long-term safety case. The safety of the proposed site will be confirmed through a rigorous regulatory review of the facility design and safety case. This regulatory review will include the federal Impact Assessment Act (2019) process and licensing by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Nuclear fuel has powered communities in Canada for decades. When used nuclear fuel is removed from a reactor, it is highly radioactive. Although radioactivity decreases with time, used fuel remains a potential risk to people and the environment for many hundreds of thousands of years. That means this hazard needs to be safely managed for generations to come.

Canada has a strong framework for regulatory oversight that governs the handling of used nuclear fuel. It is managed and shielded at all times to ensure that no one is exposed to an unshielded bundle. In Canada, used fuel has been safely managed for decades at various nuclear facilities.

Canada's plan calls for used nuclear fuel to be transported from current interim storage facilities to a new, centralized site. In transit, a robust transport package will contain and shield the used fuel. It will then be safely contained and isolated in a deep geological repository with multiple natural and engineered barriers.