[en] This paper will discuss the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Canada's Regulatory Framework with respect to Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste. The management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste must be ensured in a consistent, environmentally responsible and economical manner throughout its lifecycle -- from its production to the final disposal option. Radioactive waste has been produced in Canada since the early 1930s when the first radium/uranium mine began operating at Port Radium in the Northwest Territories. Pitchblende ore was transported from the Port Radium mine to Port Hope, Ontario where it was refined to produce radium for medical purposes. At present, radioactive waste is generated in Canada from the various stages and uses associated with the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining/milling to nuclear reactor operations to radioisotope manufacture and use. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment; and to implement Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The CNSC was established in 2000 under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources. The CNSC was created to replace the former Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), which was founded in 1946. Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, CNSC's mandate involves four major areas: regulation of the development, production and use of nuclear energy in Canada to protect health, safety and the environment; regulation of the production, possession, use and transport of nuclear substances, and the production, possession and use of prescribed equipment and prescribed information; implementation of measures respecting international control of the development, production, transport and use of nuclear energy and substances, including measures respecting the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosive devices; dissemination of scientific, technical and regulatory information concerning the activities of CNSC, and the effects on the environment, on the health and safety of persons, of the development, production, possession, transport and use of nuclear substances. The prime responsibility for safety including the management of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste rests with the licensee in possession of the nuclear material. While neither the NSCA nor its associated regulations define radioactive waste, Regulatory Policy P-290, Managing Radioactive Waste, asserts that radioactive waste is any liquid, gaseous or solid material that contains a nuclear substance, as defined in section 2 of the NSCA and for which the owner of the material foresees no further use and the owner had declared as waste. By definition, a radioactive waste may contain non-radioactive constituents. Radioactive waste is therefore regulated in the same manner as all other materials that contain a nuclear substance. The generation of radioactive waste cannot be prevented entirely but it should be kept to the minimum practicable as an essential objective of radioactive waste management. This objective is in line with CNSC Regulatory Policy P-290. Waste minimization relates to both volume and activity and to both the waste generated by an initial undertaking and the secondary waste resulting from the management of radioactive waste. The chemical characteristics of the waste should also be controlled at source in order to facilitate subsequent processing. As part of the CNSC's effort to improve and modernize its Regulatory Framework, the CNSC is considering several upgrades to the Framework. The CNSC as part of its licensing framework introduced Safety and Control Areas. One of the Safety and Control Areas is waste management. To address the SCA of waste management, the CNSC will be implementing a requirement that each licensee must have in place a waste management program. CNSC staff is currently developing a Regulatory Document and Guide that will incorporate the policy principles of Regulatory Policy P-290 into requirements and also it will provide guidance on what needs to be included in the waste management. The completion of both Regulatory Documents is projected to be completed by 2013. An initial analysis will be started in early 2012 to decide whether or not Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning Regulations are needed. These Regulations will encompass all forms of waste, from operational waste including mixed waste; decommissioning waste; and legacy waste. Consideration will also be given to including financial guarantees as part of these Regulations. It is anticipated that it will take approximately one year to complete the initial analysis.