be sure, above all, that the selected site was safe and secure for people and the environment, now and in the future, and that the process for choosing the site would be grounded in values and objectives that Canadians hold important. The discussion document set out scientific and technical requirements to guide site selection. It describes implementation through a partnership with an informed, willing community and it outlines proposed steps through which interested communities would be able to learn more as they consider their potential interest in hosting this project. Expressions of interest Site selection commenced in 2010. In May, the NMWO called for communities across Canada to submit "expressions of interest" to host a waste management site. By March 2012, when the closing deadline was announced, 15 communities had made formal submissions. At the closing date of September 30, 2012, NWMO announced that 21 communities were "engaged in learning more about the project, the NWMO and the process. The total includes several communities that have asked the NWMO to begin more detailed preliminary assessment studies (Step 3), as well as communities that have requested information and briefings." On January 24, 2020, the NWMO announced South Bruce and Ignace as two potential host areas remaining in the site selection process for the project. The decision followed agreements between the NWMO and landowners in South Bruce, Ont., allowing sufficient access to land studies in the area at a potential deep geological repository location. References External links The Nuclear Waste Management Organization 100 Thousand Years and Counting Graphic report on nuclear waste in Canada Waste organizations Radioactive waste Waste in Canada