V16 • I10 • NOVEMBER 2021
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
VOYAGEUR
ITM AND CNL SIGN MOU TO PURSUE ACTINIUM-225 Organizations agree to work together on global development of rare medical isotope Last month, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company, and CNL announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development and industrial-scale production of Actinium-225, an extremely rare alpha-emitting radioisotope with heightened potential in precision oncology. Under the terms of the agreement, the organizations will collaborate on the development, manufacturing, and distribution pathways for the medical radioisotope. Further details of the agreement have not been disclosed. Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) has been rapidly gaining growing interest from the scientific and medical community. Alpha-emitters, particularly Actinium-225, are in high demand for their ability to cause irreparable damage to cancer cells. Notably, Actinium-225 emits powerful, high-energy alpha particles with a short penetration range, which enables highly precise treatment of tumor cells, including hard-to-target micro metastases, with minimal impact to surrounding healthy tissue. In preclinical studies, TAT has shown remarkable results, destroying cancer cells by effectively breaking the bonds in their DNA. Actinium-225 can be labelled to a variety of peptide ligands or antibodies to specifically target cancer cells in a wide range of tumor indications. As the current annual global production of Actinium-225 is miniscule, one of the biggest challenges in harnessing the full potential of the alpha-emitter is ensuring its supply. CNL and ITM have the expertise and infrastructure in place to work to sufficiently bypass the supply hurdle to develop and produce this coveted radioisotope with huge therapeutic potential. “CNL is very excited to enter into this agreement with ITM, an industry leader that shares our ambition of bringing the next-generation of medical radioisotopes to the global market,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “It is also an exciting evolution of CNL’s work in the field of medical radioisotopes, and makes use of our capabilities in target development, radiochemistry, radioisotope analysis and by-product management. Working with ITM, we hope to leverage these capabilities to accelerate the development of this promising new isotope, and to establish a commercial pipeline for what we believe will be a ground-breaking new cancer treatment.”
Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM, and Joe McBrearty, President and CEO of CNL, sign Memorandum of Understanding
“It is a pleasure to work alongside another radiotherapeutic industry leader like CNL in the development of a radioisotope with the potential to address a high unmet need. We look forward to sharing our expertise in the global production and supply of the highest quality radioisotopes in our shared mission of exploring the otherwise untapped potential of Actinium-225, commonly referred to as the ‘rarest drug on earth’. We are eager to unveil the therapeutic value of this radioisotope which we believe has the potential to unlock revolutionary TAT treatments,” said Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM. ITM is a world leader in the development, production and global supply of radiotherapeutics and diagnostics, and maintains an evolving precision oncology pipeline. Coupled with CNL’s scientific infrastructure and experience in developing and distributing medical radioisotopes, the companies are well-positioned to produce and provide this highly sought-after radioisotope to the global industry. Under the terms of the agreement, CNL will be responsible for the research and development as well as the production of Actinium-225. The company is already developing and producing Actinium-225 in research-scale quantities using Thorium-229 generators. ITM will be responsible for further processing Actinium-225 to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standard and will subsequently have the primary responsibility for associated regulatory processes, marketing and sales of the product.
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site
UNDERSTANDING THE FUKUSHIMA EVENT CNL continues to represent Canada in study of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Event It’s been about seven years since CNL received a call from a representative at the Organization for Economic Development (OECD) asking us to contribute to international efforts supporting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear event in Japan in 2011. We had the knowledge, skills and capabilities with severe accident phenomena and also were very focused on international project collaboration, enabled by AECL’s Federal Nuclear Science & Technology Work Plan (FNST). It was not only an opportunity for us to learn and contribute, but with our participation backed by our federal regulator – the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), it gave CNL the opportunity to represent the Canadian nuclear industry and showcase why we hold the reputation for attracting the best and brightest.
In the March 2020 issue of Voyageur, research scientist, Andrew Morreale, Advanced Reactors Directorate, S&T, detailed the intensive project work and “firsts” generated from the collaborative work that began with the BSAF (Benchmark Study of the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station) Phase 2 Project. This included developing a computer simulation of the incident to better understand how it happened and its progression using an advanced severe accident modelling code. The result was the first boiling water reactor severe accident analysis performed by CNL, and the first analysis using the MELCOR integrated severe accident analysis code (a US-NRC tool). CNL then went on to participate in the PreADES (Preparatory Analysis of Fuel Debris) project to identify challenges in
S&T AND QA COLLABORATE ON IMAGING DEVICE One of the most valuable, but often overlooked attributes of the Chalk River campus is the integration of such a diverse set of people and capabilities. Certainly, our science and technology may capture the most attention, but underpinning our S&T success is an army of skilled tradespeople and supporting capabilities. For the past few years, Krassimir Stoev, a Research Scientist in the Inspection & Monitoring Technologies (I&MT) branch has been working on a Federal Nuclear Science & Technology Work Plan (FNST) project exploring an innovative new piece of equipment for deployment in nuclear accidents or in areas of very high radiation. “Essentially, we have been developing a ‘radiation camera’ which works somewhat like augmented reality, layering an image which show areas of high radiation over the normal camera view,” explains Krassimir. “This would allow the user to visually inspect an area, and in a live feed, see the actual hazardous points and develop a plan in response.”
While there are many similar technologies in existence, most are intended for use in waste management or normal operational scenarios, and would quickly be saturated with radiation in an emergency event, rendering them useless. The device under development in this FNST project is specifically intended for very high radiation applications, a niche opportunity yet to be exploited. But, testing and calibration of such a device becomes somewhat more challenging, as it requires more than your typical radiation check source. For this, Krassimir turned to the team in CNL’s Quality Control organization. Justin Wallwork, QA Inspector explains: “We have a number of high radiation sources here in QA which are traditionally used for the inspection of welds and other industrial applications. On site, they get used frequently for inspection of welds and to verify the integrity of the components. Due to the high radiation hazard associated with these devices, their use requires operators to complete theoretical and practical training, as well as
getting the fuel debris out of the reactors at Fukushima and the ARC-F (Analysis of Information from Reactor Buildings and Containment Vessels of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station) project – contributing refined severe accident analysis of the Unit 2 reactor and upcoming analysis of the Unit 3 reactor. Since this last story, CNL has been able to help with final efforts for the PreADES project – a Joint Task Force (JTF) Initiative involving members of this project and another OECD-NEA project, TCOFF (Thermodynamic Characterization of Fuel Debris and Fission Products). This work involved a study of some initial debris samples taken from the Fukushima Daiichi containments and analyzed by JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency) to understand the debris forms found. A paper on this JTF initiative was prepared by IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire, France), JAEA, and CNL for the upcoming NURETH-19 (19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics) conference.
And the international collaboration will continue. CNL is also looking forward to the future OECD-NEA Fukushima initiatives including the mid-term project FACE (Fukushima Daiichi NPS Accident Information Collection and Evaluation), which will succeed the PreADES and ARC-F efforts and further support both understanding of the severe accident and the generation of valuable insight and information for decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi units. Part of this midterm project is a proposed round-robin debris analysis initiative that CNL has been spearheading, which will take well characterized samples from a severe accident experiment and provide them to various international laboratories for analysis and comparison of techniques, procedures and results. This proposed initiative will be blended into the upcoming project (to start in 2022) and will help to increase the body of knowledge on the analysis of fuel debris, exchange information to help build analysis programs and develop debris analysis capabilities, and provide improved understanding of accident phenomena and information for both severe accident knowledge and decommissioning. These capabilities will be beneficial for future analysis of debris samples from the Fukushima Daiichi units and aid in decommissioning.
“CNL, in addition to the other JTF participants, received the analysis and imaging data for the samples and were asked to provide input on what these samples could say about the accident and how they were different from unit to unit,” shared Morreale. “CNL subject matter “Being connected with the international community, being able to experts performed a thorough review of the data and were able present CNL research and share our knowledge on a high visibility to provide significant contributions and insight on what the debris stage, and give a Canadian perspective means a lot,” says Morreale. morphology and composition may mean with respect to the accident “CNL is the representative of Canada in many such international progression including the potential temperatures reached during projects related to nuclear science as we are the relevant centre Collaborative research program designed to spur SMR and AR development the accident, oxidation of the debris, and the presence of materials of excellence and hold the expertise in our country thanks to CNL indicating molten core concrete interaction.” research priorities and our work under the AECL-FNST program. We’re happy to have this federal support for our participation CNL’s engagement on the ARC-F project has also lead to increased and the opportunity to bring information back to the CNSC and understanding from refining the earlier work, updates from other government agencies. What’s more, this work as well as our investigations at Fukushima, and thorough discussions with partners participation in international working groups, is contributing to our on the project. CNL identified areas in the modelling and simulation capabilities in future advanced designs and small modular reactors.” that could improve our analysis and set to increasing nodalization and upgrading some of the input data and modelling assumptions Continued success in these international efforts are thanks to the to improve the simulations to better reflect the postulated accident hard work of CNL staff and support of management and AECL. The progression. This refined analysis was presented to the ARC-F efforts of staff of the Thermalhydraulics and Safety Analysis Branch project and a paper on the effort was submitted to the NURETH-19 are recognized in particular, along with the support of the Advanced conference as well. Reactors and Reactor Fleet Sustainability Directorates.
passing exams to become certified exposure device operators (CEDO) from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).” In support of this particular project, Justin and the QA team utilized Iridium-192 sources deployed within a dedicated facility within Building 469. The concrete shielding within the facility keeps Justin, Krassimir and the team safely protected from any radiation hazards, while the sources can be manually unlocked and deployed from an adjacent room. “We utilized two distinct sources, and deployed them independently as well as together. each source was positioned into a collimator, which we could use to direct the beam of radiation. Krassimir and the team could safely position these as needed to do their calibration and testing to refine their detectors.” This is just one or many ways that the broader CNL community of staff are able to support their success of their colleagues regardless of mission area. If you are interested in learning more about how the QA team could support your project, please reach to Chris Lee. For more information and to see the device in action visit myCNL.
Sources use to test CNL's 'radiation camera' technology
Stephanie Walsh on Lac-Granet in Quebec
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT POLONIUM-210 Understanding the Fate and Transport of Polonium-210 in Freshwater Environments
Canada is one of the world’s largest uranium producers, and will play a significant role in meeting future world demand for uranium-based fuels. Case in point, most of the small modular reactor (SMRs) designs considered for deployment in Canada require uranium-based fuels. And with proposed plans for uranium development already in place, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has engaged CNL in a project funded through the AECL Federal Nuclear Science and Technology (FNST) Work Plan to better understand the environmental behaviour of polonium-210 (Po-210) to inform their environmental impact and risk assessments of mine sites. Why Po-210? Unlike most other radionuclides, we know little about the environmental transfer factors of this last radionuclide in the uranium-238 (U-238) decay chain. Occurring in uranium ore and tailings, we know Po-210 to be highly toxic and it builds up in marine ecosystems; yet there is little data about it in freshwater ecosystems. Po-210 concentrations in freshwater in decommissioned and active mining areas in the Northwest Territories, Ontario and Saskatchewan can be more than 100 times those in sea water. This, and the opportunity to develop improved methodologies for effectively measuring this substance in the environment, has made it a very interesting project for our Isotopes, Radiobiology and Environment Directorate (IRED). “In the first project, we found through meta-analysis that some of the highest values for Po-210 in freshwater were not from mining areas, but rather from small streams rich in humic acids (i.e., ‘tea-coloured waters’) in western Ontario”, says David Rowan, Radioecologist. “Higher levels of Po-210 in streams draining three wetlands in particular and slightly elevated levels of it where streams enter Lac Granet in western Québec, informed the second project – a scoping study to look at biogeochemical and foodweb processes controlling the fate and transport of Po-210 in aquatic ecosystems”, adds Matt Bond, Environmental Biologist.
In this second project, the team essentially wanted to understand how Po-210 moves through a watershed and ends up in lakes, rivers and streams. And once it does end up in those rivers and streams, does it build up (bioaccumulate) or biomagnify and what levels of Po-210 could be expected in aquatic life? What did they find? Po210 concentrations appear to be naturally elevated in acidified environments, especially those with relatively large wetland areas, and water pH and organic carbon appear to play an important role in Po-210 fate and transport. Now back to the challenge of collecting and preparing Po-210 field samples for analysis. The lack of available data can be attributed to the difficulty of measuring low-level Po-210. Polonium can be lost by volatilization at temperatures as low as 100°C as well as through radioactive decay due to its relatively short half-life. These properties create limitations in sample processing as it is essential that temperatures remain low and that the analysis is completed within 30 days. The team engaged CNL’s Analytical Chemistry Branch to use their expertise to develop an appropriate method. “Working together, we were able to develop a method to measure freshwater samples that we couldn’t measure in the past,” says Stephanie Walsh, Research and Development Officer. “We’ve since modified this method for saltwater, sediment and biota such as invertebrates, algae, vegetation and fish.” Their project findings are now taking the team from the Environment and Waste Technologies branch to northern Saskatchewan over the next two years for a new FNST project, alongside collaborators at the University of Ottawa and a partnership with the Clearwater River Dene Nation. The scope of this work includes improving analytical capabilities for low-level Po-210 measurements in water, sediment and biological samples, better understanding the environmental chemistry of Po-210 and the fate and transport of Po-210 in uranium mining regions and developing models that can be used for biokinetic modelling and site assessments.
I am pleased to be able to share the good news that 29 ideas have been funded through CNL’s first ‘crowdfunding’ campaign. The funds for this program were provided by Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA), our parent company, in recognition of CNL’s outstanding performance in the 2020/21 fiscal year. CNL staff were then given an opportunity to direct investment of these funds towards causes, ideas and community initiatives of their choosing. Without question, the program was a great success. Following a week long ‘idea submission’ stage which generated over 90 ideas, a review team then shortlisted and condensed the ideas into 53 which then moved forward to the investment stage. Each CNL staff member was provided $250 to invest into the ideas of their choosing. In only four days, we reached our goal of $180,000 of fully funded ideas (committed funds) and the investment period closed. The full list of funded ideas is below. I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who participated in this campaign. We had over 1,800 staff log in to submit their ideas and make their investments. It drew input and participation from
across the company with funded ideas coming in from Whiteshell, Port Hope, CRL and even a few national organizations. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. On a more personal note, it was truly heartwarming to see the caring and philanthropic nature of the CNL team. While a handful of ideas were submitted which directly benefit CNL staff and the work environment on our sites, the majority of ideas submitted and funded are for improvements in the quality of life in local communities: investments in schools, in parks and outdoor trails, in mental health and homelessness, in the protection of animals, aid for those in need... these are wonderful applications for these funds, and I know they will be put to good use. CNL staff should be proud of this contribution they have made towards their local communities. Just to re-emphasize my comments when the campaign launched a few weeks ago, on behalf of the CNL Executive Team and the CNEA Board of Directors, thank you for your efforts in 2020/21 and your continued hard work in the current fiscal year. Joe McBrearty President & CEO
HOW TO SPEND $180,000 IN ONE MONTH Here are the many ways that CNL employees have chosen to spend CNEA's funding • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Support the Northumberland Humane Society Anishinaabe Cultural Circle Support for Child Poverty Action Network (CPAN) Support the Renfrew County SPCA Provide funding to the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail "Alqonquin Trail" Junior Farmers of Ontario (Renfrew Club) Recognition for Hospital Health Care Workers in Renfrew County Donation to the Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County Support the Laurentian Valley Skating Trail (Combined) Food Banks: Sharing in Time of Need Bonnechere Museum Geoheritage Trail - Rest Benches and Safety Rails Purchase Extrication Equipment Coverage that is Missing for a Stretch of HWY #17 Supporting St Anthony's School (Chalk River) Support "The Grind" Pembroke and area
• Petawawa Terrace - Improvement to the Trail System • Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) - works to protect our country's most precious natural places • Outdoor Seating area for PHAI • Water First Education and Training Clean Water for Indigenous Communities • Community Turtle Crossing Signs • Donation to the Tiverton Fire Department • CNL Ski Day • Watch My 6 Service Dogs • Whitewater Ontario - Ottawa River Public Access • Lac du Bonnet & District Arena Upgrades • Seven Sisters Falls Community Club • Dumoine River Canoe Route and Tote Road Trail Improvements • Purchase a CNC plasma cutting system for Mackenzie Community School • Donation to North Renfrew Family Services • Support Petawawa Predators Swim Club for Kids
IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY YEAR FOR ERM Here's a quick mid-fiscal update on what the ERM team has been up to so far this year
The Environmental Remediation (ER) team has been busy since the start of this fiscal year, and below are some highlights of the activities that have been safely completed: Building B204 Southwest Soil Characterization Environmental characterization activities to support the upcoming decommissioning activities in the Bowser room located in the basement of Building 204 (B204) began in February 2021 and concluded in June. The B204 Bowser Room System, Services and Components (SSC) removals project will see a marine container installed partially below grade against the southwest side of the building to allow access into the Bowser room from the exterior of the building through a new opening that will be cored into the foundation wall. This will create a transition point from the Bowser Room (high radiological Zone) into the specially designed marine container (low radiological Zone) during the upcoming SSC removals from the room. Environmental characterization was completed through a combination of borehole drilling (small diameter holes are made into the ground), the use of a hand auger (auger tool is used to bore into the ground to collect a sub-surface soil sample), hydrovac excavations (the use of pressurized water combined with vacuum equipment to excavate an area) and grab sampling (small samples taken from a large area at a point in time). The soil samples that were collected were sent to an offsite lab for radiological and nonradiological analyses. The results that were obtained governed the waste management strategy development and soil reuse planning for the project.
Excavation activities near B204
Building B412/413/457 Buildings 412 & 457 are scheduled for decommissioning next year, and the Building 413 demolition will commence as early as this fall. The ER team completed environmental characterization of the decommissioning sites in May of this year. A total of 18 boreholes were completed using Geoprobe equipment (drilling equipment) around the facilities and soil samples were collected for laboratory analysis. The results obtained will guide any soil excavation activities around the facilities in support of the decommissioning and demolition of the buildings, and will be used to determine future land use decisions of the sites once they are remediated. Building 719T A new office trailer, Building 719T, is planned for installation on the Building 202 (former laundry processing facility) footprint in the fall
of 2021. The ER team completed environmental characterization in June 2021 to identify potential contaminants in the subsurface of the soil. Five boreholes were safely advanced around the area, and soil samples were collected for offsite radiological and non-radiological analysis. The results yielded were used to support soil management practices for the upcoming project.
Environmental characterization work for Building 719T
Building B250 To support future Building 250 (B250) decommissioning activities and possible surface soil removal, environmental characterization and soil characterization using Geoprobe equipment was completed in July 2021. This environmental characterization will assist in any required intrusive work decisions required to decommission the North Tower of the building, and to guide the disconnection and isolation of the associated underground utilities and service systems attached to B250. The characterization data gathered will also support the Environmental Remediation Process once the building is safely demolished. A characterization report is currently being written to summarize the results of the characterization activities. Building B426 Building 426 (B426) and its associated service water gravity tank will be decommissioned and demolished during this fiscal year. Soil characterization activities were completed in July 2021. A Sodium Iodide (Nal) survey (to identify radiological contamination) of the job site was completed around the facility due to its close proximity to the former NRX pipeline (installed in the 1950s) and to the ventilation stack duct. Five boreholes were completed around the building and soil samples were submitted to an external laboratory for analysis. The results will be used to plan for any required excavations and potential soil removal, and will aid in any future environmental remediation efforts. Building B240 The Building 240 (B240) Pump House and associated Tanks 240-1 and 240-2 will be decommissioned following the development of the Detailed Decommissioning Plan for Building 240 and Building 241. In order to access the internal components of the tanks for decommissioning activities, additional excavations outside of the original 2019/2020 characterization footprint were required. In addition, a section of the legacy Liquid Dispersal Area (LDA) pipeline extends from B240 to the controlled area fence line and has not yet been removed; soil characterization of the affected excavation area
prior to the work plan being developed to remove the pipeline was required. In late July 2021, boreholes were completed using Geoprobe equipment. Soil samples, collected with hand auger equipment, were submitted to an external laboratory for analysis. The results obtained will guide any required excavation plans, soil removal if needed and will govern any future environmental remediation efforts. Dawson City In May 2021, Environmental Remediation and Characterization staff completed a Sodium Iodide survey of the surface at the Dawson City site using a sodium iodide detector that was equipped with data logging and location tracking software. The purpose of the work was to determine the presence of radiological contamination below the surface of the ground at the site, and the results will be used during future land use decisions. The results of the survey are visualized on the map of the site below, and the coloured markings represent the relative levels of radiological contamination that were found; green identifying lowest levels of contamination, followed by yellow, orange and red, indicating higher levels of contamination. The map identifies the static counts of contamination buried below the ground surface. There is no loose contamination present at the surface within this site and protective barriers are in place.
path is finalized. The proposed remediation approach was subjected to two independent, peer reviews provided by CNL’s Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) team and Jacobs Engineering. Recommendations made based on the lessons learned from the remedial excavation cleanup work completed at Port Granby, and currently ongoing at the Port Hope site, along with extensive mine closure experience provided by Jacobs Engineering are being incorporated into the WMA F RAP. The RAP is expected to be prepared for an independent technical review by the Safety Review Committee at the end of this fiscal year. Liquid Dispersal Area Working in collaboration with staff from the Land Use Program, ER has begun planning for future characterization activities at the sites within the Liquid Dispersal Area (LDA). The LDA consists of four primary sites; the Laundry Pit, the Chemical Pit, the Reactor Pit 1 and the Reactor Pit 2.
Environmental characterization at the Laundry Pit
In September 2021, environmental characterization sampling commenced at the Laundry Pit. Multiple boreholes were advanced within the Laundry Pit site, with select soil samples being submitted to an external laboratory for analysis. The results obtained will be used during the remediation planning process for the Laundry Pit. Dawson City map
Bulk Storage Environmental Remediation staff supported an assessment of the Bulk Storage site in May 2021 prior to a plan to reuse the Bulk Storage site for Waste Operations. ER staff completed a 100% surface survey of the site using a sodium iodide detector equipped with data logging and location tracking software. Results of this survey revealed that the partially remediated site still contained detectable radiological contamination. Additional scoping activities and further investigations followed, and revealed that more radiological contamination is present at the site than was thought to be. The field and laboratory data collected will aid in future remedial activities. The results of the survey are visualized on the map of the site below, and the coloured markings represent the relative levels of radiological contamination that were found; green identifying lowest levels of contamination, followed by yellow, orange and red, indicating higher levels of contamination. . The map identifies the static counts of contamination buried below the ground surface. There is no loose contamination present at the surface within this site and protective barriers are in place. Waste Management Area F The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) that is being developed for Waste Management Area F (WMA F) consists of a complete excavation of the waste currently at the site, followed by safe storage until a disposal
Capital Projects ER staff supported Capital Projects by providing soil characterization services on various projects in support of soil management. Soil characterization activities have included stockpile sampling, boreholes, and Sodium Iodide (NaI) surveys. These activities are required since soil management is now mandatory during excavation activities. Most noticeably, field characterization efforts by ER staff resulted in the discovery and removal of radiological contamination originating from the NRX pipeline, which historically ran from the built up Controlled Area to Waste Management Area A in the 1950s. Discoveries like these signify the importance of pre-characterization and scoping work prior to excavation activities throughout the CRL site. Spill Response The ER team has helped respond to unexpected spills at CRL this year by completing confirmatory and verification activities following spill clean-up. Recent spills have ranged from radiological liquid, diesel fuel, and hydraulic oils. Completion of these activities for spills provides a higher level of confidence and quantitative results to demonstrate that the spilled material has been removed and that soil remediation has been successfully completed to meet the required industry standards. ER will continue to provide support to Environmental Protection, where required, to ensure that industry standard practices are employed and met during the cleanup of spills going forward.
CNSC HEARING DATES SET FOR NSDF Regulatory hearing will consider application to construct Near Surface Disposal Facility The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has officially scheduled a two-part public hearing to consider CNL’s application to amend its operating licence to authorize the construction of the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF). The hearing includes another opportunity for Indigenous communities and members of the public to continue their participation in the regulatory review process for the proposed project, which would establish an engineered disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste at the Chalk River campus. During Part 1 of the public hearing, which is scheduled to take place on February 22, 2022, the CNSC Commission will hear submissions from both CNL and CNSC staff on the licencing application and environmental assessment. Following Part 1, a comment period will be opened where Indigenous communities and members of the public will be invited to submit feedback on the project. During Part 2 of the hearing, scheduled to begin on May 31, 2022, Indigenous communities and members of the public will have an opportunity to present their comments to the CNSC commissioners. “The licensing, construction and operation of the NSDF is critical to the successful cleanup and remediation of the Chalk River Laboratories campus and the management of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s (AECL) low-level radioactive waste. CNL is confident that the facility is the best solution to dispose of this waste, while continuing to protect the surrounding environment, especially the Ottawa River,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO.
“We appreciate the input that we have received through our ongoing engagements on this project, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue with Indigenous communities, members of the public and other stakeholders.” The proposed NSDF project has been under rigid review by the CNSC and is subject to federal assessment, which has been underway since 2017, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Earlier this year, the CNSC deemed all environmental assessment and licencing application documents acceptable for the project, which is a key step within the environmental assessment process. The upcoming twopart public hearing is the next step in this process. If CNL’s application is approved by the CNSC, construction on the facility is planned to begin in the fall of 2022.
NEW FACES: 2021 SEPTEMBER Baldwin, Trevor Plath, Britney Elku, Logan Prescott, Brock Calpito, Joseph Virani, Nimeshkumar Bennet, Bradley Perrault-Sanders, Ian Graham, Todd Kargus, Maddison Leach, Kyle Moore, Wyatt Hung, Chung Shulman, Zackary Lockley, Miranda Boyes, Noah Houle, Kristyn Johansson, Zane Francia, Christopher Padda, Tajveer Birney, Deena Zahlan, Khaled Levin, Igor
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Lauff, Michael Masala, Andrew Vanderneut, Adam Yonkeu Tchana, Arild Cottingham, Kristofer Pyne, Cory Khalil, Mohamed Aide, Heather Baker, Riley Taherion Esfahani, Saeid Furtado, Brandon Gonzalez, Alexander Grand-Maitre, David Arthur, Brian Bertrand, Eric Beny, William Holtz, Julie Khan, Aliher Molenaar, Holly Sun, Jingya Sharma, Shubham Strikwerda, Stephen
Voyageur is a publication of the Corporate Communications department of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. Comments and content are welcomed at philip.kompass@cnl.ca. Additional contributors to this issue include Joe McBrearty, Antonette Chau, David Rowan, Stephanie Walsh, Krassimir Stoev, Andrew Morreale
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