V17 • I05 • MAY 2022
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
VOYAGEUR
CNL ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF PORT GRANBY PROJECT Safe conclusion of project represents a major milestone in Port Hope Area Initiative Member of Parliament for Whitby Ryan Turnbull attended the event and echoed Minister Wilkinson’s sentiments. “The Government of Canada shares the commitment to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians while protecting our environment. That is why we have invested significantly in environmental protection. This includes ensuring that all radioactive waste in Canada is managed safely for generations to come.”
JOE MCBREARTY SPEAKS AT PORT GRANBY EVENT
CNL recently marked the completion of the Port Granby Project with members of the Clarington community. Undertaken as part of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI), the Port Granby Project involved the safe excavation and transfer of low-level radioactive waste from an unstable site to a newly constructed waste management facility.
Alderville First Nation Chief Dave Mowat and Anishinabek Nation Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief James Marsden offered messages on the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississauga Nation where the Port Granby work was completed. CNL is committed to recognizing Indigenous rights and interests, and engagement with local First Nations and Indigenous communities and organizations is a critical component of the Port Hope Area Initiative.
Over 1.3 million tonnes of waste excavated from the Lake Ontario shoreline in Southeast Clarington is now safely stored in the engineered, aboveground storage mound that was capped and closed in fall 2021. CNL is implementing the PHAI on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), a federal Crown corporation.
“CNL is pleased to incorporate environmental stewardship and sustainability into every decision we make as an organization, as we develop solutions that stand the test of time. These were our objectives with the Port Granby Project,” said Joe McBrearty CNL President and CEO. “This remarkable achievement was brought to fruition through strong working relationships with our federal and municipal partners, with our contractors and suppliers, with many stakeholders who have an interest in the project, and with local Indigenous communities who care so deeply about the environment.”
CNL hosted local residents, First Nations representatives, and community groups at a celebration to mark the completion of the project. Guests were given an up-close look at the restored lakefront site and the drumlin-shaped storage mound, located about 700 metres away from the lake, which blends with the local landscape.
The PHAI is one of the most complex environmental remediation projects in Canada and one of several projects being undertaken by CNL, including the design and construction of a similar facility, known as the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF), proposed for the Chalk River Laboratories site.
“The completion of the Port Granby Project represents a major milestone for the community of Clarington and fulfills the Government of Canada’s commitment to safely address the long-term management of this waste,” commented the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “In order to move forward and establish a clean energy future here in Canada, we must first address the legacies of the past. That was the mission of the Port Granby project, and I want to congratulate everyone who helped bring it to a safe and successful conclusion.”
“The Port Granby Project would not have been possible without the insight, feedback, and support of local communities. Our experience together will only strengthen similar projects, in Port Hope, across Canada and around the world,” said Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of AECL. CNL and AECL also welcomed local government representatives including Municipality of Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster and Durham Region Chair and Chief Executive Officer John Henry.
CNL AWARDED GOLD CERTIFICATION BY WHC CNL once again recognized for environmental stewardship and conservation Great news for CNL’s Environmental Protection program! CNL has once again been awarded Gold Certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) for its Chalk River Laboratories campus, a designation that recognizes broad-based biodiversity efforts and conservation education activities on corporate land. This recognition represents the third consecutive certification awarded to CNL by the WHC since 2016, and reflects CNL’s continued efforts to preserve and protect vulnerable species and their habitats on the Chalk River site. The WHC’s international certification program, Conservation Certification®, was established to provide objective, third-party evaluation of an organization’s voluntary, long-term commitment to the management of quality habitat for wildlife, conservation education and community outreach initiatives. A Gold certification signifies leadership among the over 700 WHC Conservation Certification® programs, and is only awarded to organizations that demonstrate exceptional understanding and effective implementation of environmental protection best practices. “At CNL, we understand that we have an obligation to respect and take care of the lands surrounding the Chalk River Laboratories campus, and to demonstrate environmental stewardship in everything we do as an organization,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “Protecting vulnerable species and their habitat is part of that responsibility, and we have incorporated that commitment into our day-to-day work. We want to thank the Wildlife Habitat Council for recognizing these efforts, and we hope that it inspires our local communities and other organizations to adopt sustainable principles into their own operations.”
A TURTLE PASSES THROUGH AN ECO-PASSAGE AT CRL
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Working with the University of Ottawa, CNL initiated a telemetry study this year to assess the use of the eco-passages by Blanding’s turtles, which is a threatened species in Ontario, and to evaluate if the daily average movement has increased since their installation. With Trent University, CNL has just completed a two-year collaborative study on Bat telemetry, with findings being used to establish a Habitat Suitability Index. New buildings at Chalk River Laboratories incorporate bird friendly design principles to prevent bird-window collisions. The Science Collaboration Centre, for example, uses double glazed windows with an internal timber grid which will produce natural light tones, UV and glare protection, establishing a visible deterrent for bird strikes. In collaboration with Canadian Forest Service, a Sustainable Forest Management Plan was developed for CNL land, with modeling demonstrating sustainable habitats for bats, moose, bears, deer, and more for 150 years.
In addition to the WHC certification, CNL is also enlisted as an award finalist for WHC’s “Reptiles and Amphibians Project Award” and the “Bats Project Award.” CNL expects to be notified of the award status later this spring.
Companies achieving WHC Conservation Certification® are considered environmental leaders, voluntarily managing their lands to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. A number of new initiatives directly contributed to CNL’s increased score for this year’s re-certification, including: •
CNL has been recognized for its Herpetofauna Conservation project. A total of seven eco-passages have been successfully installed in the past two years to allow the safe and free interwetland movement of reptiles and amphibians without having to cross the road.
“This is a fantastic and well deserved recognition of the tremendous work that we have done at CNL to protect and preserve our wildlife habitat,” commented Jeff Willman, CNL’s VP of Health, Security, Safety and Environment. “I am very proud of our whole environmental team for this outstanding accomplishment, which was made possible by the outstanding contributions of all CNL staff who continue to report wildlife observations, assist in the implementation of rigorous mitigation measures, and report concerns to our Environmental Services staff.” Check out myCNL to learn more about CNL’s Environmental Protection program.
RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED NSDF PROJECT
CNL WELCOMES THE MEDIA TO TALK NSDF CNL hosts successful Media Day in lead-up to the NSDF regulatory hearing with CNSC Given the near daily messaging about the project on myCNL and email, most CNL employees are more than familiar with the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) Project. For the public, however, the media plays a big role in shaping people’s understanding of the project and the importance to our site, our communities and, frankly, our country. Recognizing this, CNL took steps to proactively invite the media to the Chalk River site to get a personalized briefing and a firsthand look at the NSDF site. On May 24, CNL hosted local and national journalists on-site for a press briefing and tour, allowing news outlets an inside look at the proposed NSDF Project in advance of the regulatory hearing (just concluded). The NSDF, a first-of-its-kind facility that would provide a safe way to dispose of low-level radioactive waste, is now seeking approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The media day drew together briefings from a variety of CNL departments working on the NSDF, namely Meggan Vickerd, Director of the NSDF Project; Kristan Schruder, General Manager & Deputy VP, Environmental Remediation Management; George Dolinar, Director of Corporate Environmental Protection; and Annie Morin, Section Head, Resource Management. The visit was also supported by Corporate Communications’ Patrick Quinn and Philip Kompass, and Government Relations’ Ryan Clarke. Philip Kompass, Corporate Communications Manager, said that CNL reaching out to the media in advance of the hearing creates an opportunity for the NSDF team to respond to and correct some of the concerns and misinformation that may be circulating. “Though much of the public is confident in CNL’s ability to properly execute this project,” Kompass said, referring to recent surveys, “those same people are rightfully interested in making sure it is delivered in a responsible way. Given all the ‘noise’ about the project, it can be challenging to sort out the facts from the fiction. A dedicated media day creates the space needed to put everything on the table, and have a good conversation about it all.” Given the recent regulatory hearings, it was important that CNL was able to build a more complete understanding of the project for key media. The hearing, which ran from May 30 through June 3, provided an opportunity for the CNSC – and the public watching – to
MEGGAN VICKERD & GEORGE DOLINAR AT NSDF MEDIA DAY (PHOTO COURTESY OF MYFM 104.9 PEMBROKE TODAY)
hear submissions from various intervenors, including the public, and Indigenous communities. These interventions, providing a multitude of opinions, are all an important part of the approval process. The more critical views have garnered quite a bit of media coverage, though, leading to a misleading (or at least unbalanced) story. “We knew it was important for CNL to correct the record – where we can – on some of the rumours or myths that may be circulating about the project,” Kompass said. “Essentially, we put forward our best effort to ensure the media had CNL’s ‘side of the story’, too.” The positive impacts of the teams’ efforts have been clear: a number of stories have been filed so far, all providing a more balanced story on the NSDF than previous media coverage has. Although media visits don’t happen very often, Kompass says the site is likely to see more in the future—a stepping stone for stronger media relations, in hopes of eventually erasing the stigma surrounding the nuclear industry. “Within the Vision 2030 Strategic Initiative around communications, the team is working quite hard to be more proactive in sharing news about CNL.” Kompass added. “In all our media engagements, we want to make sure we’re putting CNL in the best light, with the most accurate information we can. I strongly encourage employees who receive an inquiry from the media, or who may be interested in sharing their work with external media, to reach out to the Corporate Communications team.”
DECOMMISSIONING COMPLETES MILESTONE IN B220 Sampling from contaminated storage tank successfully completed by CNL staff
CNL has completed an important milestone in Building 220 (B220), an ancillary facility to the NRX reactor where plutonium processing occurred. It is one of the highest hazard facilities at the Chalk River Laboratories campus, and Decommissioning’s primary goal is to accelerate hazard and liability reduction in the building. To safely accomplish this goal, the team must systematically and safely characterize the remaining hazards in order to develop detailed work and waste management plans to remove the hazards. One of these hazards is a Storage Tank with unclear origins that has been stored in B220 for decades. Historical documents suggest that the tank was not originally part of the B220 plutonium extraction process, but was transferred into the building from another facility. The tank is labelled with spray paint to indicate that it contains a liquid plutonium hazard. To determine the nature of the contents within the tank, the team needed to extract samples and send them to a lab for chemical analysis. Previous scoping activities determined that the contents of the tank contained a significant amount of radiological contamination, and
SAMPLE IS TRANSFERRED INTO A SAMPLE BOTTLE
To mitigate the hazards associated with Red Oil, multiple atmospheric monitoring tests of the room and the tank’s interior were completed, and temperature readings of the contents taken to ensure that the liquid remained stable during the withdrawal process. Field staff donned protective air-supplied suits during the work, and all of the tools that were used during the sampling process were classified to be chemically inert and non-sparking. Emergency response plans were also in place in case they were needed, but the field work happened according to plan and without incident. Following successful air tests and temperature checks, the team safely obtained samples from the top, middle and bottom layers of the liquid from an existing opening in the side of the tank. The tank opening was sealed upon completion of the work and all of the tools and equipment were decontaminated to the extent possible. The samples will be shipped to CNL’s Analytical Chemistry Branch (ACB) for analysis.
CONTAMINATED STORAGE TANK
could contain a volatile substance called Red Oil. Red Oil is a byproduct of the plutonium extraction process that poses an explosion hazard under specific conditions and has caused explosions at other nuclear sites. The sample analysis will confirm whether Red Oil is present in the tank, and will guide future work plans to safely remove the tank and its contents.
Decommissioning achieved this milestone in March. The work was safely completed without incident as a result of the team’s meticulous and thorough planning. Great work to all involved with the planning and the field work.
The entire sequence of operations was mocked up in advance using a clean tank containing tap water and vegetable oil to simulate the different liquid layers in the actual storage tank. The mock-up was used to finalize the sampling tool design and to enable staff to practice the sample extraction. During table top reviews, part of the Integrated Work Control Process, the mock-up was used to show subject matter experts the planned work steps. A picture is worth a thousand words, and a mock-up is worth a thousand pictures. The mock-up gave the work plan approvers the confidence to allow the project to proceed, knowing that all of the hazards were appropriately mitigated.
AN INTERIOR IMAGE OF THE TANK IS TAKEN
DEMOLITION OF BUILDING 40
A PRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR THE FD & ER TEAM FD & ER take a look back on the year to celebrate everything they accomplished The start of a new fiscal year brings new projects, and as we reflect on the fiscal year that has passed, CNL has continued to safely revitalize Chalk River Laboratories (CRL). A noteworthy accomplishment in 2021 - we safely completed our 100th building demolition at CRL along with the demolition of the old Carpenter Shop building.
We installed a new, first of its kind temporary ventilated enclosure on top of the NRX reactor, and visually inspected the reactor core for the first time in 27 years.
We have demolished 111 buildings and removed over 282,300 square feet of footprint since 2015 - 19,090,084 kg of clean waste, 187,468 kg of asbestos waste, 2,992,061 kg of low-level radioactive waste and 43,994 kg of intermediate-level radioactive waste.
We completed various scoping and hazard reducing activities to prepare some of our other historical buildings for safe decommissioning and demolition in the future. Environmental sampling and monitoring, asbestos removal, dismantlement of glove boxes that were used for radiological experiments, sampling from a radiological storage tank and waste removals to name a few.
The clean and asbestos wastes have been disposed, low-level radioactive waste is now in safe storage pending the construction of the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF), and intermediate-level radioactive waste will be safely stored in CNL’s waste management areas.
Our team adapted and diligently navigated through another year of a challenging COVID-19 pandemic to complete these important projects amongst many others. CNL continues to restore and protect the environment, and transforms Chalk River Laboratories into a world class nuclear research campus!
INDOOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL
OUTDOOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL
CUSTOM ENCLOSURE IN NRX
HOT CELL REMOVAL AT CRL
CNL, AECL AND DND COMPLETE SMR STUDY Feasibility study concludes that an SMR could supply clean energy to Base Petawawa
National Defence to analyse deploying SMRs to meet their climate change objectives at their Base in Petawawa, Ontario, next to Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, Chalk River Laboratories. We look forward to continuing this collaboration with National Defence moving forward.” Established in 1905, 4 CDSB Petawawa is one of the Canadian Forces’ most active bases with more than 400 buildings supporting over 7,000 personnel. While presently the majority of the Base’s electricity is supplied by the provincial electrical grid, diesel generators provide additional peaking capacity and redundancy. Three natural gas boilers provide the bulk of the heating through a steam distribution system and low-temperature hot water system. Significant growth is expected at the Base in coming years, with projected energy demand increasing 59% for electricity and 9% for thermal energy, assuming additional electrification in facilities. Small modular reactors (SMR) could provide clean, economic and reliable energy to the 4 CDSB Petawawa, helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels and enabling energy security, according to a recent study completed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of National Defense (DND) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). Specifically, the study examined the feasibility of providing energy, both electrical and thermal from a SMR located at Chalk River Laboratories to achieve several goals for 4 CDSB Petawawa, including reaching net-zero by 2050 in alignment with Canada’s Climate Plan and reducing the Base’s reliance on and use of diesel fuel. Smaller in footprint than conventional reactors, SMRs are increasingly being considered as a safe and reliable option to provide energy in remote or off-grid locations or when energy independence is needed, such as disaster relief or during extended power outages. Inherently more flexible in operations, SMRs could be used in a range of applications, including local area electricity production, heating, industrial steam, hydrogen production, or desalination of water. “Small modular reactors have the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting net zero goals. They are also ideally suited to service small remote communities where today diesel is the only practical option, such as military bases,” commented Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of AECL. “AECL is proud to have worked with the Department of
The Base’s present energy demand and supply were reviewed in order to establish the current baseline for comparison and to determine appropriate potential requirements for the future. Using CNL’s Hybrid Energy System Optimization (HESO) model, a variety of scenarios were modelled to identify the optimal energy mix for the Base. The HESO model helps to determine the best energy mix to minimize cost while meeting both greenhouse gas reduction targets and peak energy demands. The results of the study indicate that this project could potentially generate enough clean energy to power roughly 90-100% of the garrison’s off-hour energy demand, and between 45-55% during peak hours. This would reduce the garrison’s GHG emissions by 18-50% overall, supporting DND in meeting net-zero by 2050. In this scenario, two SMR units could demonstrate the provision of thermal energy to meet local area heating needs, while the electrical energy needs for the Base could be met through a combination of solar with battery storage. This scenario was also among the most cost competitive. “We believe the future of clean energy lies in hybrid energy systems. Understanding and exploring how nuclear can work together with other energy options, including renewables, is a core aspect of our work at CNL today, and into the future,” commented Joe McBrearty, President and CEO of CNL. “With the potential siting of an SMR on the Chalk River campus in the coming years, we have a unique opportunity to work alongside our neighbour, Base Petawawa, to demonstrate this and ultimately move all these technologies forward.”
FAST FACTS •
Nuclear technology, including SMRs, will play a key role in meeting federal and provincial climate change and GHG reduction goals.
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The SMR used for this study was a generic high temperature gas reactor which produced 15 MW of thermal energy (MWth) / 5 MW electrical energy (MWe).
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While various scenarios did include the use of the SMR for the production of electricity, the greatest opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was in building heat.
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Chalk River Laboratories is located directly adjacent to the northwestern boundary of 4 CDSB Petawawa. The Base is home to 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG), the Canadian Special Operations Regiment, 1st Canadian Field Hospital, 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron and several other units.
NAYGN CHALK RIVER CHAPTER GETS A HELPING HAND FROM JOE MCBREARTY TO CLEAN UP PETAWAWA BOULEVARD On Saturday May 14, the Chalk River chapter of North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) took part in a street cleaning of Petawawa Boulevard. CNL’s President and CEO, Joe McBrearty, who is a big supporter of the groups’ community, educational and professional development activities came out to lend a hand and literally get in the trenches with the group. The team braved the 30+ degree weather to gather litter along a stretch of Petawawa Boulevard that the CRL NAYGN team “adopted” in 2018. Some of the items collected from the roadside included car parts including mufflers and headlights, lots of coffee cups, plastic bottles, toys, polaroid photos and face masks. Dozens of bags of trash were gathered, fun was had, and the group celebrated after with a pizza lunch at Petawawa point. The road crew included Gabrielle Psotka, Denys Elliot, Gursimer Sandu, Zachary Porter, Ryan Clarke, and Ally Senuik who managed to bring along her fiancé Callum McClelland The team hopes to do another round up this fall, and hopefully they can get some more brave volunteers to help keep the Ottawa Valley beautiful.
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND FREDERICTON MP VISIT CNL CYBER SECURITY CENTRE CNL’s cyber security team, alongside our AECL colleagues, were thrilled to meet with Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino; Fredericton’s Member of Parliament, Jenica Atwin; and senior members of local cyber security organizations and post-secondary training institutions. The Minister invited input on priority cyber security challenges while getting better acquainted with the expertise and capabilities New Brunswick and CNL’s National Innovation Centre for Cybersecurity has to offer. As the Minister, alongside other Federal departments, is developing a renewed National Cyber Security Strategy, we welcomed the consultation opportunity.
PRIDE FLAG RAISED AT CNL SITE ACROSS CANADA No matter how you identify, all CNL employees have the right to feel safe, valued, included, and proud at work. CNL has never been more committed to celebrating our diverse and inclusive workforce and making all CNL campuses inviting for everyone. June 1 marks the beginning of Pride season and CNL is raising the Pride flag on all CNL flag poles until June 8 to show our support and celebrate the contributions of our LGTBQ2+ communities. CNL is a platinum sponsor for the Pembroke Pride Festival which is taking place June 3 and 4. We are encouraging all staff that are interested in taking part in the festivities to check out Pembroke Pride on Facebook and Instagram, or visit www.pembrokepride.com for the latest schedule and events. To find other Pride events in your area, check out fiertecanadapride.org. Wishing all of our LGTBQ2+ staff a happy and safe Pride season!
INDUSTRY DAY RETURNS TO THE CHALK RIVER LABS Annual tradeshow and networking event draws over 50 organizations to campus Another successful Industry Day is in the books! Delivered in partnership with the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI), the annual event is part of CNL’s ongoing effort to build awareness about our ongoing business needs, and strengthen connections between local companies, Indigenous-owned businesses and the broader nuclear supply chain. This year’s event drew over 50 organizations and groups to the Chalk River Laboratories’ Minwamon Building for a day of networking, presentations and engagement. With a broad portfolio of work underway, including a $1.2 billion investment in site revitalization, Industry Day marks an important day in the calendar for CNL to engage in even more work with potential partners to further expand their portfolio. CNL continues to pursue innovative and progressive projects that touch a number of different areas in the nuclear field, including health sciences, next-generation reactor technologies, cyber security, environmental remediation, waste management, and much more. A key focus of Industry Day 2022 was CNL’s long-term plan for sustainability across the company, where we are working to adopt more environmentally-friendly and socially responsible practices. The company also plans to continue supporting Indigenous businesses, where capabilities exist, and seek to implement contracts with
companies that give equal opportunities to Indigenous peoples. Finally, CNL’s also promoted its plans to pursue Strategic Delivery Partnerships. Doing so will leverage sustainability and diversity (specifically indigenous engagement and participation) alongside economic development. For CNL’s local vendors, these partnerships ensure that the local supply chain will continue to flourish and economic development in local communities will be supported. Thank you to everyone who made Industry Day 2022 a success!
NEW FACES: 2022 APRIL Anwar, Uzair Cyr, Terry Daley, Kyle Dutta, Kanchan Erickson, Brady Erickson, Dylan Grierson, Brian Johnston, Rob Versteeg, Shaun Hykawy, Chad O’Hagan, Cathy
FIELD SPECIALIST SECTION LEADER ELECTRICIAN HYDROGEN RESEARCH SCIENTIST MECHANICAL MAINTAINER MECHANICAL MAINTAINER SHUTTLE BUS DRIVER UTILITY WORKER DECOMMISSIONING SPECIALIST DECONTAMINATION WORKER CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR
Penrose, Jacob Ridgway, Robert Spencer, Jason Stadnyk, Breanna Curilla, James Haughton, Amanda Ngala, Oliver Owens, Sam Aina, Funmilayo Anson, Kourtney Button, Taylor
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, Ally Senuik, Carolina Pucciarelli, Emma Martin-Rousselle, Philip Kompass, Antonette Chau and Jeff Willman
DECONTAMINATION WORKER DECONTAMINATION WORKER HR BUSINESS PARTNER DECONTAMINATION WORKER MATERIALS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIST RECORDS ASSISTANT OPERATIONS ENGINEER CLASS 3 ELECTRICIAN CONTRACT MANAGER HR GENERALIST DECONTAMINATION WORKER