(high-level waste), not L&ILW. OPG stated that the introduction of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act prompted the Municipality of Kincardine to initiate discussions with OPG regarding the long-term management of the L&ILW stored at the WWMF, which was only considered an interim waste management solution. Under the 1996 Government of Canada's Radioactive Waste Policy Framework, OPG was responsible to implement a long-term solution for managing its L&ILW. This includes the funding, organization, management, operation and disposal of waste, as well as responsibility over any other facilities required for their waste. Location and Site Selection The proposed DGR was to be located below ground, constructed in low-permeability limestone capped by 200 meters of low-permeability shale, which had remained stable for more than 450 million years. OPG states that the limestone is stable and predictable, with excellent isolating capabilities. The site is proposed to be constructed 1.2 kilometers from Lake Huron below the shelf of the lake which is connected to the Great Lakes basin. The basin is a drinking source for more than 40 million people in Canada and the United States. Willing Host - Kincardine, Ontario In 2002, the Municipality of Kincardine and OPG signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The purpose of the MOU was to set out terms under which OPG, in consultation with the Municipality of Kincardine, would develop a plan for the long-term management of L&ILW at the WWMF. As part of the MOU-related activities, Golder Associates, on behalf of OPG and the Ministry of Kincardine, conducted an Independent Assessment Study of three long-term waste management options: enhanced processing and surface storage, surface concrete vaults, and deep rock vaults. The study, published in 2004, included technical feasibility and socio-economic impacts, as well as a review of international practices for waste management. The assessment found that all three long-term management options were technically feasible and could be safely constructed and operated at the WWMF, and that no clear preference for any of the three options had been identified in public attitude and tourism research. Ultimately, the Municipality of Kincardine identified a deep geologic repository as its preferred option for the long-term management of L&ILW, and endorsed the project on April 21, 2004. As the willing host for the project, the Municipality of Kincardine and adjacent municipalities would have received financial benefits and payments from OPG including: A one-time lump-sum payment to the Kincardine and the adjacent municipalities