Last week the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission held a public hearing into the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories\u2019 proposal for a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF). This facility, once operational, will serve as safe, long-term storage for low-level radioactive waste near Chalk River Laboratories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CNA participated in day 2 of the hearing, during a session on the “Long Term Safety Case”. Several interventions from the public focused on perceived safety issues and how the waste might affect their future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his intervention, CNA President and CEO John Gorman addressed these fears, emphasising the Canadian nuclear industry\u2019s track record on safety and regulation regarding waste. “Canada\u2019s nuclear industry takes its responsibility to safely manage, store and permanently dispose of those by-products very seriously,\u201d said Mr Gorman. \u201cIn fact, we are the only energy source that not only tracks all our by-products but has a segregated fund dedicated to pay for decommissioning, storage, and disposal of those by-products.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Gorman also made the argument to the CNSC that, \u201cit is in the best interests of the environment that the NSDF proceed.\u201d He went on to explain that delaying or stopping the project, as some intervenors suggested. would in fact put the Ottawa River at greater risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chalk River Laboratories\u2019 low-level radioactive waste is currently housed in temporary storage. A more permanent solution is important for the continued protection of CNL workers, nearby residents, and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u202fNSDF has been under review since 2017 under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The CNSC has already approved the project\u2019s environmental assessment and licencing application documents. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last week the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission held a public hearing into the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories\u2019 proposal for a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF). This facility, once operational, will serve as safe, long-term storage for low-level radioactive waste near Chalk River Laboratories. The CNA participated in day 2 of the hearing, during a session on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8471,"featured_media":32267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[489],"tags":[20,441,570,83],"topic":[584],"class_list":["post-32265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-releases","tag-cna","tag-cnl","tag-nsdf","tag-nuclear-waste","topic-regulatory-affairs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n