Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Safe, clean energy with a low carbon footprint is of critical importance to the national economy and the well-being of citizens. Nuclear power can make a significant contribution to meeting this goal but the issue of waste management must be addressed. This research program focuses on geoscience in relation to safe management of Canadian radioactive waste in a deep geological repository. Waste isolation in the geosphere requires geologic systems with low permeability rocks such that groundwater does not flow and transport of solutes derived from the waste is dominated by diffusion. The research will develop and apply methods to evaluate solute transport in diffusion dominated geologic systems, thereby assisting with characterization of candidate sites for a repository. The research will require a laboratory experimental component and a component that utilizes samples from field sites to study porewater chemistry, particularly naturally-occurring solute tracers to assess the mechanisms and time scale for porewater and solute movement in the surrounding geosphere. One of the most important goals is that the research program be conducted with the aim of integrating all data into an overall geoscientific model that is well constrained by data - an approach commonly referred to as geosynthesis. This provides a means of effectively communicating the results of the research.This research program will help the university strengthen its educational and research efforts in Environmental Sciences and it will provide students and postdocs with the skills and knowledge necessary for them to assist with the safe management of radioactive waste into the future. This program holds great importance to Canadians as it will contribute to the establishment of a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel.