Radwaste in Canada: a political economy of uncertainty

Abstract

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) proposed Adaptive Phased Management (APM) as an approach for managing used nuclear fuel in November 2005, and this approach was approved by government in June 2007. APM involves either disposing of or storing used nuclear fuel in geological formations, but leaves decisions about options and timing to political contest. Site assessment processes are now underway, with site selection expected within 30 years. This paper shows how APM developed out of repeated public policy failures and decreasing political support for nuclear projects, including at early site assessments (1978-1981), when the mandate for a public inquiry was set (1989), and..