Port Hope Area Initiative

Progress on the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) which includes the Port Hope and Port Granby Projects, is a priority for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and its federal government partners. The CNSC has regulatory oversight and approval of both of these clean-up projects. The CNSC has issued a licence for both projects (details belows).

Latest News

• May 10, 2016, CNSC publishes 2013 and 2014 Independent Environmental Monitoring Program results for CNL’s Welcome and Port Granby waste management facilities
• March 25, 2015, CNSC publishes its performance report of CNL’s nuclear sites and projects
• November 3, 2014, The CNSC Approves AECL's Request to Transfer Its Licences to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

Other Milestones

• January 13, 2012, Government of Canada Announces Funding for Implementation Phase of the Port Hope Area Initiative (source: Natural Resources Canada)
• On November 30, 2011, the Commission Tribunal announced its decision to issue a Waste Nuclear Substance Licence to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for the Port Granby Long-Term Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Project for a period of 10 years.
• On October 16, 2009, the Commission Tribunal issued a licence to AECL for the Port Hope Project. The next step is to have the Port Granby Project come before the Commission Tribunal to consider a licensing decision. To ensure a transparent and timely process, the CNSC has signed a Protocol with Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the Port Granby Project environmental assessment and licensing requirements.
• Protocol: To ensure a transparent and timely process, the CNSC has signed a Protocol with Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the Port Granby Project environmental assessment and licensing requirements.
  • Operational Protocol for the Port Hope Project and Environmental Assessment Follow-Up Program Activities (PDF)
  • Revised Protocol for the Port Granby Project Licensing and Environmental Assessment Follow-Up Program Activities (PDF)
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• On September 30, 2010, a Protocol for Providing Radiological Status Information for the Port Hope Area Initiative to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission was signed by the CNSC and AECL. The purpose of this protocol is to define a high level process for the provision of information by AECL to the CNSC regarding properties that are suspected to be contaminated with low-level radioactive waste for which the owners have concerns about the need for remediation of the property.

Project description

The historic low-level radioactive waste in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington originates from radium and uranium refining and processing operations, conducted from the 1930s to 1980s by Eldorado Nuclear Limited, a former Crown corporation. The PHAI – the Government of Canada’s response to the community-recommended solutions for this long-standing issue – has the goals of cleaning up this waste and managing it safely in the long term. Through its Historic Waste Program Management Office, CNL is implementing the PHAI on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

For more information about the PHAI, visit www.phai.ca

One Initiative, Two Projects

PHAI represents a commitment by the Government of Canada to respond to the community-recommended solutions to this long-standing environmental problem. The two remediation projects under the Initiative are the Port Hope Project and the Port Granby Project.

The projects are moving forward in a phased approach:

• Phase 1: The planning phase, involving environmental assessment and regulatory review of the PHAI
• Phase 2: The implementation phase, involving facility construction and contaminated sites remediation
• Phase 3: The post-closure phase, involving ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the PHAI-built facilities over the long-term

Read Commission Tribunal notices, transcripts and Records of Decision related to facilities in the Port Hope area.