Technology

To Comment on this article Click Here

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) had staff on hand at several open houses in the area, to field questions about the preliminary results of the Environmental Assessment (EA) into Ontario Power Generation's Deep Geologic Repository proposed for the Bruce Nuclear site.

Open houses were held in Port Elgin, Ripley, Kincardine and Walkerton last week to obtain feedback from the public about the project.

Three more open houses are scheduled for this week, all running 4-8 p.m.: tonight (Oct. 4) at the Chesley Fire Hall; tomorrow (Oct. 5) at the Bayshore Community in Owen Sound; and Wednesday (Oct. 6) at the Bruce County Public Library building in Wiarton.

At the open house Wednesday afternoon at the Best Western Governor's Inn in Kincardine, Marie Wilson, NWMO media relations manager, said the preliminary results of the EA indicates there will be increased noise and increased air emissions at Bruce Nuclear during site preparation, construction and decommissioning.

However, none of those potential residual effects is deemed to be significant, she said.

Wilson said a geoscientific site characterization and assessment of safety and environmental effects has been completed and supports the safety case for the project. The rock formations are stable and of low-permeability - ideal for containing the repository for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste.

She noted that the repository is isolated from Lake Huron and the groundwater in the area, because of multiple natural barriers.

Once the open houses are complete and public comments gathered, NWMO can proceed with its submission of the Environmental Impact Statement and Preliminary Safety Report in 2011, in support of the licensing process.

These documents will go to a joint review panel and then there will be a six-month public comment period, said Wilson. Public hearings would be scheduled for 2012. If given the green light, construction would take about five years and the repository would be up and running by 2018, she said.

Wilson said the proximity of the project to Lake Huron is often questioned during open house sessions.

"We explain to people that the DGR (Deep Geologic Repository) is isolated from Lake Huron by low-permeability rock formations," she said. "The DGR will be located 400 metres from the deepest point of the lake and about one kilometre inland from the lake. And it will be way below the groundwater level." 

^{for world news, books, sports, movies ...}

Wednesday, October 06, 2010