Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

News

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is proud to announce the capping and closure of the engineered aboveground mound at the Port Granby Long-Term Waste Management Facility in Clarington, Ontario, as part of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI).

Construction at the Port Granby Project storage facility began in 2016 and involved the installation of multi-layered base liner and cover systems to safely isolate approximately 1.3 million tonnes of low-level radioactive waste from the environment. In November 2020, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) completed the excavation and safe transfer of historic waste from the former site on the shores of Lake Ontario. Maintenance and monitoring at this facility will continue for hundreds of years.

The facility is one of several environmental remediation projects being undertaken by CNL, including the design and construction of a similar facility proposed for the Chalk River Laboratories site, known as the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF), which is currently undergoing an environmental assessment.

This is a significant achievement, one which has only been made possible through collaborative work between AECL, CNL and municipal partners.

“This milestone represents a strong and continuous commitment to our environmental protection initiatives,” said Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of AECL. “Together, we are addressing key environmental remediation responsibilities now to leave an honourable legacy for future generations.”

We would like to congratulate all staff and contractors for their hard work, and we look forward to celebrating with the community and Indigenous nations in the spring.

For more information on the Port Granby Project and the PHAI, please visit CNL’s website.