The list of communities actively exploring the potential of storing nuclear waste underground will be whittled down before the year is out.
The NWMO is reaching the halfway point of Step 3 in its site selection process, which is the feasibility study stage.
Spokeman Mike Krizanc says both his group and the communities will be doing some “stock taking” based on the profiling work that has been done so far:
“We’ll be looking at that over the next few months, and then — with the communities — deciding which communities have the most potential to move forward in the process. So some communities may decide to not continue, or the NWMO may decide that it’s better to continue with some communities — but those decisions are not being made yet. Most of the groundwork has been done to begin to make those kinds of decisions. And I can’t tell you exactly when those decisions will be made. But, certainly, in the coming months, it’s a time for stock taking by the communities and the NWMO.”
Krizanc can’t say how many communities will be eliminated from the process.
Creighton, the English River First Nation and Pinehouse are the three Saskatchewan sites among 21 nationwide that are being considered.