IDRA Ontario Power Generation The Nuclear Waste Management Organization

DGR docs released to feds

By TROY PATTERSON
KINCARDINE NEWS
Ontario Power Generation submitted its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Preliminary Safety Report and supporting documentation for the proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for low and intermediate level waste to federal authorities on Thursday, April 14.
Nuclear Waste Management Organization's (NWMO) Marie Wilson, whose federal organization provides technical services and regulatory support for OPG as the owner, operator and licensee, said it's one of the many ongoing steps in the regulatory approvals process as part of the transparency process to seek dialogue with the government, Aboriginal people and the general public.
The 12,500-page document was submitted to the Joint Review Panel, consisting of technical experts from the federal Ministry of Environment (MOE) and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), for a six-month review period.
"The DGR document roadmap provides a tool which can be used for easy access to all of the documents or specifi c areas of interest, dependent upon the needs of the user,"
The document "roadmap" is designed to assist in locating specific topics from geoscience, to public health impacts, the environment and many other topics involved in researching what will be a first for Canada for long-term low and intermediate-level nuclear waste storage. It's also broken down into a 60-page summary for the general public's review.
"That's the beauty of having the document on the website," said Wilson. "We tried to make it as reader and user-friendly as possible so people can pick and choose what information they're looking for."
Once public consultation is complete, a public hearing is scheduled for 2012 before the Joint Review Panel, who will make a recommendation to the federal government.
The proposed DGR would be built 680-metres beneath the surface at the Bruce nuclear site north of Kincardine, Ont. with a multiple-layer, 200-metre cap of shale and sedimentary, low-permeable limestone above the site to protect the environment from any radioactive decay climbing upwards over thousands of years.
"What we have are ideal geologic conditions for this repository," said Wilson when she addressed Municipality of Kincardine council last month. "The formations are predictable."
The NWMO has stressed the importance of keeping the media and public informed of their work by promoting the DGR project through multiple media platforms and public events.
The series of two panels of repositories will have a capacity to store up to 200,000 cubic metres of low and intermediate-level nuclear waste. The facility is not designed, nor licensed to store any nuclear fuel, as it is also prohibited by the Municipality of Kincardine under a Memorandum of Understanding.
The material will be collected from all of OPG's 20 reactors, including six of the eight reactors in service that are leased to Bruce Power.
As part of their safety case, Wilson stressed there is no risk to local groundwater or Lake Huron, as drinkable water only exists within the first 100 metres below ground and Lake Huron's deepest point at the Bruce site is 200-metres.
"Our case is very solid about our ability to protect the lake," she told council, adding the only traces of water found at level are miniscule and prehistoric, with a salinity eight to 10 times that of ocean water.
DGR History/Background
      * 2001: Municipality of Kincardine initiatives discussions to jointly study long-term nuclear waste management options for the Bruce nuclear site.
      * 2002: Memorandum of Understanding signed between OPG and Municipality of Kincardine stating nuclear fuel would not be stored permanently at the Bruce site.
      * 2004: Kincardine council requested DGR as its preferred solution. A hosting agreement was signed with OPG.
      * 2005: OPG submitted a project description to CNSC to initiate regulatory process.
      * 2006: Hearing to determine level of Environmental Assessment (EA).
      * 2007: Federal Minister of Environment supports Panel Environmental Assessment. Joint Review Panel process introduced to address the EA and application for site prep-a ration and construction licence.
      * 2009: Final guidelines issued for Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Joint Review Panel Agreement.
      * Apr il 2011: Submission of EIS and Preliminary Safety Report to Joint Review Panel, followed by six-month public consultation period.
For information visit www.opg.com/dgr/

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revised 2012 Jan 24