The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission said yesterday that it supports Ontario Power Generation’s proposed radioactive waste inventory verification plan for its proposed deep geologic repository for low and intermediate radioactive waste during a public hearing on OPG’s license request. Earlier this year, a former employee of OPG publicly criticized the waste inventory plan for failing to address some waste forms that would go in the repository. In response, the company re-worked and verified its results, concluding that it would not change the safety results for the DGR. OPG presented these results at the public hearing, with CNSC confirming the results. “In light of our review, CNSC staff concludes that the proposed radioactive waste inventory verification plan addresses all but one expectation that CNSC staff laid out in recommendations regarding uncertainties in the original radioactive waste inventory plan,” said Patsy Thompson, CNSC director general for the Directorate of Environmental and Radiation Protection and Assessment. “The updated radioactive waste inventory that includes measurements of activities in pressure tubes and garter springs does not significantly change: 1) the assessment that long term doses to people in vi order, 2) the dose predictions to workers as long as mitigation measures are in place, and finally dose predictions to workers in the event of an accident. OPG’s proposed radioactive waste inventory verification plan is acceptable to CNSC staff, as it meets regulatory requirements."
OPG is currently in the midst of a two week public hearing process before the federal Joint Review Panel responsible for deciding if the repository should move to a construction phase. The public hearing step of the process appeared to be completed last fall, but the federal panel decided to conduct additional hearings starting this week to address outstanding issues, among them: how WIPP affects the repository, which was the topic of discussion earlier this week, as well as the waste inventory verification plan. The CNSC also endorsed yesterday that the project receive the government’s approval to move forward. “In addition, the pre- and post-closure safety assessments are sufficiently conservative to support an environmental assessment decision and to authorize a site-preparation construction license,” Thompson said.
