The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) played a prominent role in the Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS) 38th annual conference in Saskatoon on June 3 to 6.

In addition to chairing an opening day plenary session, NWMO President and CEO Laurie Swami also presented as part of a day-two panel on “Developments in the Canadian Nuclear Sector.”

“My job and that of the NWMO is to ensure the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel,” she told the diverse audience in her address. “We have to get this right not just for the generation following us, but also for the generations and generations of Canadians to come.” 

The CNS conference is an annual opportunity for those working in all aspects of the nuclear industry to come together to exchange information on nuclear science, technology, applications, and societal impacts. 

“Our search for a site involves so much more than graphs, maps, drills, and suitable rock formations,” she said. “It involves people – our experts at the NWMO, as well as the thousands of people in the municipalities and First Nation and Métis across Ontario with whom we are exploring and trying to find a preferred site.”

“We feel it is our responsibility – even before a site is selected – to dig not only into the rock, but also into the bedrock of the community.”

Ms. Swami expressed confidence that the plan is technically sound and spoke of the progress being made at the NWMO. She went on to describe a number of recent activities, including drilling its first borehole at a potential repository site in northern Ontario, signing international knowledge-sharing agreements, and developing best practices with research partners.