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Nuclear Power Demonstration Closure Project

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is proposing to decommission the Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility, a former nuclear generating station that operated until 1987. The facility is located in Renfrew County, Ontario, on the south bank of the Ottawa River approximately 225 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.

The structures that currently remain onsite include the main reactor building, a diesel generator, a ventilation stack, a pressure relief duct, a guardhouse, foundations from previously removed structures, two landfills, buried utilities and drainage systems, and temporary structures such as sea containers and portable washrooms.

CNL is proposing an in situ (leaving in place) decommissioning approach.  The following activities are proposed:

  • assembly and operation of a grout batch mixing plant
  • grouting of below-grade (underground) structures
  • removal of above-grade structures for use as backfill
  • installation of concrete cap and engineered barrier over the grouted area
  • final site restoration
  • long-term care and maintenance activities

Some temporary infrastructure – such as mobile offices and washrooms, as well as an increase to the electrical services – would also be required in order to facilitate decommissioning. Water-holding tanks and fuel storage may also be required on site to support the proposed project. Additional groundwater monitoring wells would be installed, as required, to monitor the performance of the in situ decommissioned facility.

Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, CNL's proposal requires an amendment to its existing Decommissioning Waste Facility Licence issued by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). An environmental assessment (EA) conducted under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 is required, and an EA decision affirming that the proposed activities will not cause significant adverse environmental effects, before the CNSC can make a licensing decision on this proposal.

Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given project.

 

Latest update

September 10, 2018 - The timelines in Appendix A of the Administrative Protocol between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and the CNSC for the Nuclear Power Demonstration Closure Project have been updated to clarify the environmental assessment (EA), licensing and public hearing processes for the review of the Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) Closure Project. CNL has indicated that they require additional time to address information requests (IRs) received on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the federal and provincial authorities as well as from Indigenous groups and members of public. As a result, the final EIS and the public hearing will be delayed. More information is available here.

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Contacts

  • Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
  • 280 Slater Street
  • Ottawa, ON, K1P 5S9
  • Telephone: 613-947-3209 or 1-800-668-5284
  • Fax: 613-995-5086
  • Email: cnsc.ea-ee.ccsn@canada.ca

  • Location

    • Rolphton (Ontario)

  • Project Type

    • Nuclear Energy

  • Status

    In progress

  • Start Date

    2016-05-05

  • Proponent

    Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

  • Authorities

    • Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

  • Assessment Type

    Environmental assessment under CEAA 2012

  • Reference Number

    80121

Nearby projects

..within 200 kilometres
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