Nuclear Environmental Stewardship

Expected Result: Federal nuclear sites are clean and healthy environments.

To secure the social licence for the continued utilization of nuclear energy, the nuclear sector and the Federal Government must demonstrate responsible environmental stewardship.

This Program Activity addresses the government's commitment to a clean and healthy environment for Canadians by: ensuring Canada's federal nuclear sites, including legacy and historic sites, are clean and healthy environments, demonstrating the responsible deployment of nuclear S&T; managing environmental risks, demonstrating sound environmental stewardship; and providing technologies, expertise and/or facilities in support of the safe storage and long-term management of radioactive waste in Canada.

This program activity includes a number of environmentally-focused programs that AECL implements on behalf of the NRCan under its Radioactive Waste Management Program (NRCan's Sub-Activity 2.2.4 under the Program Activity “Ecosystem Risk Management”):

• Nuclear Legacy Liabilities executes the Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program (NLLP) that is designed to safely and cost-effectively reduce legacy liabilities and associated risks at AECL sites (CRL and off-site locations), based on sound waste management and environmental principles, in the best interests of Canadians.
• Whiteshell Decommissioning executes the NLLP-funded program to fully decommission AECL's Whiteshell Laboratories (WL) located in Pinawa, MB, including decommissioning of the Underground Research laboratory (URL).
• Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) executes the program to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste situated in the Municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington arising from the historic operations of the former Crown Corporation Eldorado Nuclear Limited and its private sector predecessors.
• Historic Wastes: operates the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office (LLRWMO) to address and manage historic low-level waste at sites in Canada.
• Nuclear Environmental Technology conducts environmental activities for scientific, technical and compliance purposes that secure and demonstrate the environmental benefits of nuclear technology.
• Nuclear Waste Services seeks the application of innovative waste technologies for clients and stakeholders, and provides a national radioactive waste service to hospitals and laboratories.