Canada’s National Nuclear Forensics Library Development Program: Overview and Key Lessons Learned

In 2013 the Government of Canada launched the Canadian National Nuclear Forensics Capability Project (CNNFCP) as a whole-of-Government initiative to augment Canada’s capacity to respond to the threat of nuclear and other radioactive material outside of regulatory control. As part of this initiative, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was charged with the task of developing a dedicated national nuclear forensics library (NNFL) capability cataloguing Canada’s nuclear and other radioactive material holdings. The purpose of Canada’s NNFL capability development program is to develop a tool that will assist law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities by providing information related to the provenance of such material in the unlikely event that it is found outside of regulatory control. This paper will provide an overview of the process that the CNSC undertook in partnership with its Government of Canada partners and stakeholders in defining the objectives and scope of Canada’s NNFL capability development program, including a discussion on key lessons learned since the program was launched.