Centre for Energy™ : Wastes

Wastes

Every part of the nuclear fuel cycle produces radioactive waste. Most waste from the nuclear fuel cycle has radiation levels similar to, or not much higher than, normal levels (or “natural background levels”). This includes uranium mining and milling wastes and other low-level radioactive wastes. Most low-level wastes return to natural background radioactivity levels in months or a year, and are easily stored.

But a small portion of industry wastes — “high-level” wastes — are extremely radioactive and must be stored and isolated for up to thousands of years to protect people and the biosphere. These wastes represent the industry’s greatest environmental challenge and financial liability.

Types of nuclear wastes in Canada

Type	Materials	Radioactivity	Management
Low level	Slightly contaminated materials such as clothing, machine parts, industrial resins, equipment from hospitals and laboratories	Low	Stored in shielded containers at reactor sites or at special waste disposal facilities
Waste from uranium mining and milling	Waste rock and soil	Low	Mined-out pits and engineered dams at mine sites
High level	Used nuclear fuel waste (solid ceramic pellets) from reactors	High levels, long-lived	Stored in concrete silos or other shielded storage facilities at reactor sites