NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECT
About the project:
-Operation and maintenance – estimated 60 years/reactor, including a mid-life refurbishing (taking up to 2 years)
-Decommissioning and abandonment – 50 years (between 2100-2150)
Furthermore, the reactor technology was not chosen prior the environmental assessment – the resulting report was intended to encompass a range of possible reactor technologies and all the possible impacts (consistent with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Information Guide INFO-0756, Rev 1, Licensing Process for New Nuclear Power Plants in Canada (May 2008)).
-Excavated material management
-Waste management
- The Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant Project (the Project) is a proposal to build up to four new nuclear reactors (depending on the model chosen).
- The site will be located at the existing Darlington Nuclear site, in Bowmanville, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, about 70 kilometres east of Toronto.
- The project will have three major stages:
-Operation and maintenance – estimated 60 years/reactor, including a mid-life refurbishing (taking up to 2 years)
-Decommissioning and abandonment – 50 years (between 2100-2150)
- Proponent – Ontario Power Generation
- The project is expected to generate up to 4 800 megawatts of electricity for the province of Ontario
- 2000 megawatts would replace the capacity at OPG’s Pickering A and B nuclear stations which will be decommissioned in 2020.
- Ontario is planning to phase-out coal generation by 2014 for health and environmental reasons.
- Additionally, the government of Ontario is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to meet its greenhouse gas reduction target.
Furthermore, the reactor technology was not chosen prior the environmental assessment – the resulting report was intended to encompass a range of possible reactor technologies and all the possible impacts (consistent with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Information Guide INFO-0756, Rev 1, Licensing Process for New Nuclear Power Plants in Canada (May 2008)).
- Four types of reactors were considered, one of which was the Enhanced CANDU. Other considered are designs by Westinghouse and Areva.
- Several model plant layout scenarios for the Environmental Assessment were generated depending on the reactor and cooling technology chosen
- The end-state for the project objective was for "all radioactive contamination and other hazardous materials to be reduced to established clearance levels or to be removed from the site and for all station systems to be dismantled and all buildings to be demolished"
- The assessment also considered different techniques such as:
-Excavated material management
-Waste management
A timeline for the New Nuclear Darlington Project. Figure reproduced from the Environmental Impact Statement
Legislative Framework
-Transport Canada, under paragraph 5(1)(a) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. N-22)
-The Canadian Transportation Agency, under subsection 98(2) of the Canada Transportation Act (S.C. 1996, c.10)
-Environment Canada, Health Canada and Natural Resources Canada – were be federal authorities, offering their expertise
- On September 21st, 2006 OPG submitted an application for a License to Prepare Site to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
- This license is the first step out of five, that would be needed for the completion of the project under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (S.C. 1997, c.9), subsection 24(2)
- Under the Law List Regulations (SOR/94-636) a project that requires regulations under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act requires an Environmental Assessment, making the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission the authority in this case
- The CNSC sent the project information to other federal departments and agencies that might also have an interest or responsibility under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, some of these were:
-Transport Canada, under paragraph 5(1)(a) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. N-22)
-The Canadian Transportation Agency, under subsection 98(2) of the Canada Transportation Act (S.C. 1996, c.10)
-Environment Canada, Health Canada and Natural Resources Canada – were be federal authorities, offering their expertise
- On March 20th, 2008, following a request by the President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the federal Minister of the Environment referred the project for and EA by a review panel
- A joint EA and license review process was pursued since both required a public hearing
- On September 5th, 2008 a draft of the EIS Guidelines and Joint Review Panel Agreement were made available for a 75-day public review and comment period
- On March 12th, 2009 the two documents mentioned were issued as final products by the Government of Canada