This waste rock is naturally radioactive at levels consistent with the region .
- Kavita Murphy , Directorate of Nuclear Cycle and Facilities Regulation
In a public meeting the CNSC hosted in June , Kavita Murthy , the director general of the Directorate of Nuclear Cycle and Facilities Regulation , said the material found on the properties contains " naturally-occurring nuclear substances " and therefore isn ' t the commission ' s responsibility .
" This waste rock is naturally radioactive at levels consistent with the region ," Murthy said at the public meeting .
" It was not subjected to any of the chemical or physical processes of the nuclear fuel cycle . It is not considered part of the nuclear fuel cycle ."
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But Jacqueline Wilson , a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association who represents Carling and the other Elliot Lake families , says the CNSC is responsible for the entire nuclear lifecycle , from mining , to power generation and nuclear waste disposal .
" Our view is that because it ' s waste that comes from a nuclear facility , uranium mines are nuclear facilities and they ' re part of the nuclear life cycle that falls under their jurisdiction ," Wilson said .