Regulatory documents
Regulatory documents generally present both requirements and guidance in a single document and distinguish between them by the use of mandatory (e.g., shall, must) and non-mandatory (e.g., should, may) language.
The CNSC organizes its regulatory documents using a sustainable structure that reflects the CNSC’s approach to regulating the nuclear industry. This structure presents all existing documents and document projects in a clear and logical manner, grouping them into the following categories:
- Regulated facilities and activities
- Safety and control areas
- Other regulatory areas
If you have difficulties accessing any of our regulatory documents, email: consultation@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca.
1.0 Regulated facilities and activities
The documents in this category are organized according to the type of regulated facility or activity. They provide guidance to applicants about the information required for licence applications and to licensees about the requirements for conducting the licensed activity. They also point to relevant expectations in the appropriate safety and control areas.
This category includes:
- Class IA facilities (nuclear power plants and other reactor facilities)
- Class IB facilities (for example, nuclear fuel processing facilities and waste facilities)
- Class II facilities (for example, cancer therapy facilities and particle accelerators)
- uranium mines and mills
- certification of prescribed equipment
- nuclear substances and radiation devices
- certification of packages
1.1 Reactor facilities
Class I Facilities Regulations list the required information to be submitted for licence applications, set requirements for the certification of Class I personnel and record-keeping, and establish a 24-month timeline for the regulatory review of whether a site is suitable for the construction and operation of a nuclear facility. The Regulations apply to Class IA and Class IB nuclear facilities which include nuclear reactors, high-energy particle accelerators, as well as facilities that handle, process or store large quantities of nuclear substances.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
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REGDOC-1.1.1, Site Evaluation and Site Preparation for New Reactor Facilities, Version 1.2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published July 2022 |
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REGDOC-1.1.2, Licence Application Guide: Licence to Construct A Reactor Facility, Version 2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published October 2022 |
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REGDOC-1.1.3, Licence Application Guide: Licence to operate a Nuclear Power Plant, Version 1.2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published July 2022 |
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REGDOC-1.1.4, Licence Application Guide: Licence to Decommission Reactor Facilities Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Currently under development |
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REGDOC-1.1.5, Supplemental Information for Small Modular Reactor Proponents Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published August 2019 |
1.2 Class IB nuclear facilities
Documents in this category apply to class IB nuclear facilities. Class IB nuclear facilities include high-power particle accelerators, facilities that process, reprocess or separate uranium, thorium or plutonium and facilities that manufacture a product from uranium, thorium or plutonium.
1.3 Uranium mines and mills
Documents in this category apply to facilities involved in the mining, ore processing and milling of uranium.
Requirements are covered in the Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
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REGDOC-1.3.1, Licence Application Guide: Uranium Mines and Mills Will supersede
|
Not yet developed |
1.4 Class II nuclear facilities
Documents in this category apply to Class II nuclear facilities. These facilities are used in medicine, cancer therapy and research.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-1.4.1, Licence Application Guide: Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2021 |
1.5 Certification of prescribed equipment
Documents in this category apply to prescribed equipment such as particle accelerators, industrial irradiators and cancer therapy machines.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published September 2020 |
1.6 Nuclear substances and radiation devices
Documents in this category apply to the use of nuclear substances and devices listed in the Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations. Nuclear substances must be licensed when the quantities involved are greater than the exemption thresholds. Radiation devices are devices that contain nuclear substances.
2.0 Safety and control areas
Safety and control areas are the technical topics used by the CNSC to assess, review, verify and report on regulatory requirements and performance across all regulated facilities and activities. The documents in this category provide requirements and guidance.
2.1 Management system
The framework that establishes the processes and programs required to ensure the organization achieves its safety objectives and continuously monitors its performance against these objectives and fostering a healthy safety culture.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-2.1.1, Management System Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published May 2019 |
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Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2018 |
2.2 Human performance management
The activities that enable effective human performance through the development and implementation of processes to ensure that licensees have sufficient staff in all relevant job areas and they have the necessary knowledge, skills, tools and procedures in place to safely carry out their duties.
2.3 Operating performance
A safe and secure operation of the regulated facility with adequate regard for health, safety, security, environmental protection and international obligations. This includes an overall review of the conduct of the licensed activities and the activities that enable effective performance.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
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REGDOC-2.3.1, Conduct of Licensed Activities: Construction and Commissioning Programs Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published January 2016 |
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REGDOC-2.3.2, Accident Management, Version 2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published September 2015 |
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REGDOC-2.3.3, Periodic Safety Reviews Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2015 |
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REGDOC-2.3.4, Operations Programs for Reactor Facilities Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Currently under development |
2.4 Safety analysis
Safety analysis is a systematic evaluation of the potential hazards associated with the conduct of a proposed activity or facility and that considers the effectiveness of preventative measures and strategies in reducing the effects of such hazards.
2.5 Physical design
Relates to the activities that impact on the ability of systems, components and structures to meet and maintain their design basis given new information arising over time and taking changes in the external environment into account.
2.6 Fitness for service
The activities that impact on the physical condition of systems, components and structures to ensure that they remain effective over time. This includes programs that ensure all equipment is available to perform its intended design function when called upon to do so.
2.7 Radiation protection
The implementation of a radiation protection program in accordance with the Radiation Protection Regulations. This program must ensure that contamination and radiation doses received are monitored and controlled.
2.8 Conventional health and safety
The implementation of a program to manage workplace safety hazards and to protect personnel and equipment.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-2.8.1, Conventional Health and Safety Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published July 2019 |
2.9 Environmental protection
Programs that identify, control and monitor all releases of radioactive and hazardous substances and effects on the environment from facilities or as the result of licensed activities.
2.10 Emergency management and fire protection
The emergency plans and emergency preparedness programs that exist for emergencies and for non-routine conditions. This also includes any results of exercise participation.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-2.10.1, Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response, Version 2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published February 2016 |
2.11 Waste management
The internal waste-related programs that form part of the facility’s operations up to the point where the waste is removed from the facility to a separate waste management facility. Also covers the planning for decommissioning.
2.12 Security
The programs required to implement and support the security requirements stipulated in the regulations, in the licence, in orders or in expectations for the facility or activity.
Certain documents in this section contain prescribed information as defined by subsection 21(1) of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations. Information in the document will be made available only to stakeholders with appropriate security clearance on a valid need to know.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-2.12.1, High Security Facilities, Volume I: Nuclear Response Force, Version 2 This document contains prescribed information and is available on a valid need-to-know basis. Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published in September 2018 |
|
REGDOC-2.12.1, High-Security Facilities, Volume II: Criteria for Nuclear Security Systems and Devices This document contains prescribed information and is available on a valid need-to-know basis. Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2018 |
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REGDOC-2.12.2, Site Access Security Clearance Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2013 |
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Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published September 2020 |
2.13 Safeguards and non-proliferation
The programs required for the successful implementation of the obligations arising from the Canada/International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Agreement as well as all other measures arising from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
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REGDOC-2.13.1, Safeguards and Nuclear Material Accountancy Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published February 2018 |
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REGDOC-2.13.2, Import and Export, Version 2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published April 2018 |
2.14 Packaging and transport
Programs that manage the safe packaging and transport of nuclear substances and radiation devices to and from a licensed facility.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published January 2021 |
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Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published November 2018 |
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REGDOC-2.14.1, Volume III: Joint Canada-United States Guide for Approval of Type B(U) and Fissile Material Transportation Packages Will supersede |
Not yet developed |
3.0 Other regulatory areas
Documents in this category include requirements, guidance and general information, and address the full scope of our regulatory activities.
3.1 Reporting requirements
Documents in this series set out the CNSC’s requirements for event and compliance monitoring reporting by licensees.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-3.1.1, Reporting Requirements for Nuclear Power Plants, Version 3 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published May 2024 |
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Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published July 2022 |
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Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published March 2020 |
3.2 Public and Indigenous engagement
Documents in this series include requirements, guidance and general information on public information and disclosure programs that applicable licensees must develop and implement to inform their communities and interested stakeholders. This category also provides information on the CNSC’s duty to consult with, and if required, accommodate, the interests of the Indigenous peoples when making regulatory decisions that may impact Indigenous rights.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
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REGDOC-3.2.1, Public Information and Disclosure Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published May 2018 |
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REGDOC-3.2.2, Indigenous Engagement, Version 1.2 Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published February 2022 |
3.3 Financial guarantees
Documents in this series provide information on financial guarantees used to ensure a licensee will have sufficient funds to decommission a licensed location and dispose of any associated nuclear substances.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published January 2021 |
3.4 Commission proceedings
Documents in this series provide information on the Commission, which makes independent, fair and transparent decisions on the licensing of nuclear-related activities, establishes legally-binding regulations and sets regulatory policy direction on matters relating to health, safety, security and environmental issues affecting the Canadian nuclear sector.
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Published February 2022 |
3.5 CNSC processes and practices
Documents in this series provide information on how the CNSC provides stakeholders and interested members of the public with timely and objective science-based information about CNSC processes and nuclear technologies.
This category includes CNSC regular reports on industry performance as well as information on specific technical areas.
3.6 Glossary of CNSC terminology
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
|
REGDOC-3.6, Glossary of CNSC Terminology Document history, associated documents, and related CSA standards |
Updated July 2024 |
For more information
- Open Government website
- Government-wide forward regulatory plans
- The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management
- Developing and improving federal regulations
- The Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council
To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians
Provide comments and suggestions
- CNSC welcomes feedback on any regulatory document at any time
Related links
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