ID: 2166
Presenting Author: Rain Forest Noakes
Session: 678 - Advancing government approaches to effective science communication in Impact Assessment
Status: pending
This presentation explores how the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission leverages multiple monitoring programs to translate complex data into meaningful public understanding.
Government lifecycle regulators play a critical role in ensuring that environmental monitoring results are scientifically rigorous, accessible, and trusted by the public. A core pillar of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC) mandate is “to disseminate objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public”. This presentation explores how the CNSC leverages multiple monitoring programs to translate complex data into meaningful public understanding. The importance of transparent reporting, adaptive monitoring, and collaborative engagement for building public trust will be illustrated using three monitoring programs as case studies: the Independent Environmental Monitoring Program (IEMP), the Eastern Athabasca Regional Monitoring Program (EARMP), and the Regional Information and Monitoring Network (RIMNet). The IEMP builds Indigenous and public trust through an independent, technical and accessible environmental sampling program that publicly shares data and conclusions via an online dashboard. The IEMP involves taking samples from publicly accessible areas around nuclear facilities and analyzing for radiological and hazardous substances. EARMP highlights a multi-jurisdictional program co-developed with Indigenous Nations and communities, ensuring culturally relevant monitoring and shared governance. RIMNet showcases the importance of centralizing disparate data sources to address cumulative effects and improve regional transparency. Across these initiatives, common strategies emerge such as publishing raw data alongside plain-language summa
Rain Noakes is an Environmental Review Officer with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Coauthor 1: Ryan Froess
Coauthor 2: Courtney Robichaud
Coauthor 3: Pete Peters