Waste nuclear substance licence

A waste nuclear substance licence (WNSL) permits activities related to waste management that do not fall within the regulatory definition of a Class IB nuclear facility.

Waste nuclear substance licensees:

1. manage waste such as contaminated metals, laundry, tooling and equipment, gloves, paper towels, liquid scintillation vials, etc. from nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities and research laboratories
2. must maintain a waste inventory below 1015 becquerels (Bq) and must only process or use nuclear substances at a quantity below 1015 Bq per calendar year; if these levels are exceeded, a Class IB licence is required
3. are classified as low-risk facilities based on the types of hazards that exist, annual throughput and inventory quantities of nuclear substances, potential exposures to the public and the environment, as well as the complexity of the operations

Additionally, decommissioned uranium mines and mills possess WNSLs for the minimal amounts of radioactive materials that they maintain and process. For more information, please see the Uranium mine and mill waste web page.

Typically, WNSL licensing decisions are made by a designated officer (DO) designated by the Commission to carry out specific licensing and regulatory actions. DO decisions are based on rigorous reviews performed by CNSC staff, who verify if the licence applicant would meet regulatory requirements.

Below is a list of WNSLs in Canada, excluding uranium mines and mills:

Site name	Licensee	Location	Waste classification
SP3 and Montecorte	Candu Energy Inc.	Mississauga, Ontario, and Whitby, Ontario.	Low-level radioactive waste
Kinectrics	Kinectrics Inc.	Etobicoke, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
Radioactive Waste Operations Site 1	Ontario Power Generation Inc.	Tiverton, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
EnergySolutions Canada	EnergySolutions Corporation Canada Inc.	Brampton, Ontario, Concord, Ontario, and Tiverton, Ontario	Low- and intermediate-level waste
Port Hope Long Term Low Level Radioactive Waste Management Project*	Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.	Port Hope, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
Port Granby Long-Term Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Project*	Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.	Port Granby, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
Pine Street Extension Temporary Storage Site*	Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.	Port Hope, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
Port Hope Area Initiative Waste Management Project and Port Hope Radioactive Waste Management Facility*	Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.	Port Hope, Ontario	Low-level radioactive waste
Abraflex	Abraflex (2004) Ltd.	Paisley, Ontario	Low- and intermediate-level waste

*The noted facilities have since been amalgamated into 1 licence. They are displayed as different entries within the table to list their different locations, but they operate under a single licence. Additionally, these facilities are not licensed by a DO, but by the Commission.