The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) on 30 May announced its decision to renew Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) waste facility operating licence for the Western Waste Management Facility (WWMF), located in the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario. The licence will be valid from 1 June 2017 until 31 May 2027. OPG is planning the construction of some new waste management facilities at the site. CNSC authorised the proposed construction provided that OPG submits an environmental management plan, construction verification plan and the project design requirements.
The WWMF, which began operation in 1974, is located on the shores of Lake Huron. OPG is owner and operator of the site, but in 2001 most of the area was leased to Bruce Power. The WWMF is responsible for the safe handling, management and interim storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Bruce A and B reactors, as well as from the Pickering and Darlington NPPs. The facility also safely manages the used nuclear fuel from Bruce A and B along with refurbishment waste from Bruce A.
The renewed licence authorises the construction of new facilities, including storage buildings for low- and intermediate-level waste, in-ground storage containers for intermediate-level waste, in-ground containers for heat exchangers and storage buildings for used dry nuclear fuel. The new structures will provide additional storage capacity for radioactive waste, as well as processing facilities to safely manage the waste.
