Table 3.6
Radioactive waste in Canada
Archived Content
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| Accumulation rates in 2007 | Radioactive waste inventory 2007 | Projected radioactive waste inventory 2050 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| cubic metres per year |
cubic metres | ||
| Nuclear fuel waste | 311 | 8,130 | 21,300 |
| Intermediate-level radioactive waste |
890 | 30,350 | 79,000 |
| Low-level radioactive waste | 4,560 | 2,330,000 | 2,570,000 |
| millions of tonnes per year |
millions of tonnes | ||
| Uranium mine tailings | 0.7 | 216 | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period |
| Waste rock | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period | 175 | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period |
Note(s):
In order to assess the future requirements for the management of radioactive
waste, the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office projects the inventory
to 2050. The year 2050 is selected as a future reference date
because it was forecasted as the end of operation for the last constructed
power reactors (Darlington Generating Station). This projection assumes that
no new nuclear generating stations will be commissioned before the year 2050 and
that all current operating reactors will have ceased operations by this time.
Source(s):
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office, 2009,
Inventory of Radioactive Waste in Canada, www.llrwmo.org/en/programs/ongoing/index.html (accessed December 19, 2011).
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