OTTAWA, May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Today, the
Minister of the Environment, Leona
Aglukkaq, received the Report of the Joint Review Panel for
the proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for Low and
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste project in Ontario.
Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012,
the federal government will now review the Panel's report before
issuing a decision statement on whether the project may proceed. If
the project is authorized to proceed to the next phase of the
permitting process, the decision statement will include conditions
related to the project that will be legally binding on the
proponent.
Prior to the federal government's decision on the project, the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will invite Aboriginal
groups and registered participants to comment on potential
conditions relating to possible mitigation measures and follow-up
requirements that could be necessary, if the project is authorized
to proceed. These comments will be taken into account by the
Minister of the Environment for the decision statement.
Subject to the federal government's decision, the Joint Review
Panel, as a panel of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission under
the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, will make a decision
whether to issue a licence to Ontario Power Generation to prepare a
site and construct the deep geologic repository facility.
The Panel report, which includes a summary, is available on the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry at ceaa-acee.gc.ca
registry number 17520.
Quick Facts
- The DGR is a proposal by Ontario Power Generation to prepare a
site, and construct and operate a facility for the long-term
management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste at the
Bruce nuclear site, within the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario.
- Low level waste consists of industrial items that have become
contaminated during routine clean up and maintenance activities at
nuclear generating stations, such as mops, rags and protective
clothing.
- Intermediate level waste consists primarily of used mechanical
parts, ion-exchange resins and filters.
- Used nuclear fuel will not be stored or managed in the
DGR.
Associated Links
- Proposed DGR project (Canadian Environmental Assessment
Agency)
- Basics of Environmental Assessment (Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency)
SOURCE Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency