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Policy Formation on Aspects of Canada's Nuclear Waste
Year Published: 1982Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX2680 Abstract: This brief, addressed to the Atomic Energy Control Board, is composed of a six-part anaysis of the issue of Canada's nuclear policy information. It includes a discussion of: The Churches and Nuclear/Uranium Issues; a history of nuclear waste disposal; The Atomic Energy Control Board's Proposed Regulatory Policy Statement, March 1982; Public Participation in the Nuclear Policy Process; Ethics and Public Inquiries; and Concept=Assessment for the Disposal of Existing Nuclear Waste. It is primarily in this last part of the brief that the Taskforce makes its fifteen recommendations, including the following: That final authority for dicisions concerning disposal of existing high level nuclear wastes rests with a temporary body, more broadly representative than the AECE, until new structures for the disposal of all forms of nuclear wastes, and changes in the status and accountability ofthe AECE have been considered in a national public inquiry and incorporated into a new Atomic Energy Control Act. That reviews processes and public hearings be structured so as to enable decision makers and the public to see clearly, and participate in discussions of, ethiclal dimensions of both "tehncial" and "socio-economic" issues. Because of the need to seek the least bad permanent disposal option for existing waste and because of the possibility that no option will be found acceptable "on its own merits", we recommend that the Concept Assessment stage involve consideration not only of the crystalline rock disposal concept, but all options which may have a reasonable chance of being found least bad. We recommend that the nature and stringency of application of the AECB's safety requirements be defined with precision and that these be addressed in advance of any concept approval. That the AECL be required to submit in its Concept Assessment Document plans for post-actions in the event that the disposal method does not function as predicted. Subject Headings |