CNSC renews PHAI licence for 10 years
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has renewed the licence for the Port Hope Project, as part of the broader scope of activities within the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) clean-up.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) announced the news on December 23.
The licence has been renewed for a 10-year period, beginning January 1, 2023. The new, single licence consolidates four previous licences for PHAI activities. It authorizes CNL to continue the safe cleanup and management of historic low-level radioactive waste in Port Hope, and the ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the Port Granby Long-Term Waste Management Facility.
“This is great news for the Port Hope and Port Granby communities and for CNL,” said CNL President and CEO Joe McBrearty. “The CNSC hearing gave CNL the opportunity to demonstrate to the Commission and the public our strong track record of environmental stewardship, as we have worked to clean up the environment in these communities over the past 10 years. We look forward to finishing this work.”
The combined PHAI licence will ensure efficiencies and consistency across all PHAI sites, in alignment with CNL’s comprehensive management system, and streamline reporting for CNL projects, while maintaining the same high level of standards for safety.
"As we continue work on this important, community-requested project under the new licence, we will maintain the same dedication to ongoing engagement and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations, stakeholders and the public," said Mark Hughey, CNL’s General Manager for the PHAI.
The PHAI represents the federal government’s commitment to respond to the community-requested solutions for the cleanup and local, long-term, safe management of historic low-level radioactive waste in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington.
CNL is implementing the PHAI on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.