CNL Major Projects Update
Deep River Council
2017 January 25| Kurt Kehler, Vice-President, Decommissioning and Waste
Management
Overview
• Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) Closure Project
• Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF)
CNL has one overarching priority: the protection of
people and the environment. Every project activity
will be overseen by Canada’s nuclear regulator.
NPD Closure Project
• Timeline
• Project Overview
• Approach for Safe Decommissioning
• Proposed End State
• Why In-Situ Decommissioning?
• Safe by Design
Timeline: 2016 - 2020
2020 May – To Be Determined
• Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) site closure followed by institutional control
Overview: Project Objectives
• Protect public safety
• Protect the environment (including species at risk habitat)
• Ensure employee and contractor safety (target no lost time incidents)
• Accelerate NPD decommissioning using available technologies with target completion May 2020
• Reduce Canadian legacy long-term liabilities and the burden on the Canadian tax payer
Approach for Safe Decommissioning: NPD
• The reactor, associated systems and below grade structures grouted in place
• Above grade structures demolished and used for backfill
• The grouted area will be covered with an engineered barrier
• Long-term care and maintenance activities will be subject to regulatory approval for a set performance period
• Ensure public safety through a safety case which is subject to regulatory approval
• Future of non-impacted land
(approximately 380 hectares) to be
decided by site owner - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
• Ensure Chimney Swift habitat is protected
Proposed End State
In-situ decommissioning offers the safest approach:
• Reduces worker risk, radiological risk, and industrial accident risk
• Reduces the risk of public / environment exposure during transportation
• Eliminates multiple handling of waste packages
• Effective reduction of the liability (e.g. eliminates interim waste storage at Chalk River Laboratories)
Alternative means considered:
• Removal of some or all source term for shipment to Chalk River for storage and in-situ decommissioning (ISD)
Conclusion to be supported through the Environmental Impact Statement
Why In-situ Decommissioning?
Safe by Design: Post Closure Safety Assessment
• The post closure safety assessment – the long term viability / safety of the project
• Disruptive scenarios being assessed:
• Early degradation of grout,
• seismic activity,
• early glaciation,
• groundwater discharge to shore, and
• human intrusion through well or site
investigation
Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF)
• Why?
• Schedule
• Project Plan
• Design, Engineering and Construction
• Waste: What will the NSDF hold?
• Environmental
NSDF - Why
The proposed NSDF is a crucial element in the revitalization of Chalk River Laboratories. It will allow the safe and permanent disposal of:
• waste from 65 years of AECL/CNL operations, and provide containment of
materials from decommissioning. This also includes environmental remediation required to transform the Chalk River Laboratories site into a 21st century centre for nuclear research and innovation. This is the vast majority of material for Phase One (525 thousand cubic metres).
• future Chalk River Laboratories operational waste materials as they are generated
• materials received through commercial arrangements as have been for decades (hospitals, universities, research entities, and industry clients), and
• waste from future decommissioning activities undertaken by CNL to address other liabilities owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, for example the Whiteshell closure project and prototype reactor sites. We expect overall volumes to be low and represent a small fraction of the total volume of the NSDF.
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Schedule: 2016 - 2018
Upcoming Activities for 2016/17
• Pre-qualification of suppliers
Scheduled progress through 2017 March
• Detailed Design complete
• Environmental Assessment Application
• Licensing Application
• Construction Procurement Planning
Next Fiscal Year 2017/18
• Construction Request For Proposal / Contract Award
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Public Hearings:
Environmental Assessment and Licensing Decisions
Project Plan Overview
Design: Components of the NSDF
Engineered Containment Mound (ECM)
Waste Water Treatment Plant
(WWTP)
Support Facilities
NSDF Site Infrastructure
Waste: What will the NSDF hold?
• The Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) will have physical, chemical and radiological parameters
• Waste Acceptance Protocol and Placement Plan (WAPPP)
• Planned acceptance protocols and placement practices by waste type
• Design consultant will progress Waste Acceptance Criteria and Waste Acceptance Protocol and Placement Plan as design deliverables
• Linked to Performance Assessment and Safety Case
• Ensure public safety through a safety case which is subject to regulatory approval
• Waste Acceptance Criteria will be available 2017 March
Waste: What will the NSDF hold?
Bulk Decommissioning Debris Bulk Mixed Waste Containerized
1
Soil and Soil-like Waste
contaminated soils and other waste materials with
characteristics similar to soil that can easily be placed within the mound with little to no handling
4
Decommissioning and Demolition Waste
materials used in construction such as concrete, asphalt, brick, lumber, structural steel, process equipment, piping
2
Comingled Debris with Soil or Soil-like Waste
wastes that are anticipated to be at least 50% soil or soil-like in nature, but will also contain varying amounts of radioactive wastes that require additional handling procedures
5
Packaged Waste
a variety of containerized wastes such as wastes contained in large shipping containers, B-25 containers, drums, buckets, and pails. These wastes typically require special handling procedures and protocols
3
Non-soil-like Waste
materials that can be excavated and handled as a bulk material, but do not have the physical characteristics of soil and soil-like materials; e.g. vegetation, trees
6
Miscellaneous Waste
waste that does not fall within the definition of Waste Types 1 through 5 but otherwise meet the WAC
Submittals for Environmental Assessment process are advancing:
• Final Environmental Impact Statement to be submitted to the Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission 2017 March and will be made available for public review
• CNL preparing application for Species at Risk Permit
• Geotechnical site characterization studies completed in December, Groundwater monitoring activities are ongoing
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Environment and Climate Change Canada meetings and tours of East Mattawa Road Site
Environmental: Progress on Environmental
Assessment
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Proposed Critical Habitat for Blanding’s Turtles
Samples of graphite and cobble/pebble scatter
NSDF site selection process has concluded
• Archaeological assessment
• Diffuse lithic scatter in 3.7% of 9000 test pits; artifacts not of high significance
• No graves or burial sites
• Biodiversity studies
• Some Species at Risk (SAR) or critical habitat for SAR found on or near East Mattawa Road site;
• Mitigation measures identified:
• Wetland setbacks, bat box installation, sub-surface fencing to keep turtles out
• East Mattawa Road preferable to Alternate Site for NSDF development
• Site Development Notice issued for East Mattawa Road by Chalk River Laboratories Site Master Planner
Environmental: Site Selection
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