Guided by science. Grounded in knowledge. Committed to partnership. Annual Report 2020

To include Indigenous perspectives in our work, the Board meets annually with the Council of Elders and Youth to exchange ideas and understand decision-making that reflects upon and respects the traditions, customs and values of Indigenous peoples. [...] While the NWMO continues to engage with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, other Indigenous communities, and local municipalities, the aggregation of land in South Bruce does not suggest that any of the communities mentioned has provided its support for the siting of the repository in this area. [...] With the uncertainties related to the pandemic and based on community input, we decided to defer the start of deep borehole drilling in both areas to spring 2021 to allow sufficient time to plan and co-ordinate with communities and contractors. [...] Another consideration in the safety of the site is the assessment of criticality, or the potential for a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction from the fuel. [...] Specialists at the NWMO contributed to international projects, including the Effective Rock Mass and the POST Projects (with SKB of Sweden), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Clay Club, the NEA Integration Group for the Safety Case, and the DECOVALEX coupled-process modelling project.