Language selection

Search


Environmental protection reviews

An environmental protection review is a science-based technical assessment conducted by CNSC staff, as required by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. These reviews assess whether an applicant or licensee will make adequate provision for the protection of the environment and the health and safety of persons.

These reviews are based on:

  • information that the applicant or licensee submits to the CNSC, such as licence applications and supporting documentation that outline environmental protection measures
  • compliance and technical assessment activities completed by CNSC staff, such as reviews of environmental monitoring data and environmental risk assessments
  • independent verification activities, such as the CNSC’s Independent Environmental Monitoring Program, relevant regional health studies, monitoring programs and Indigenous knowledge studies

Environmental protection review reports are considered by the independent Commission as part its decision-making of licensing and are made available to the public in the form of hearing documents.

Starting in 2021, the CNSC will start a new approach for publishing environmental protection review reports. These will be published on a regular cycle, separate from a specific licensing decision, with summaries posted on this website and full reports appearing on Canada’s Open Government Portal. The report for the Blind River Refinery is the first to be published in this refreshed format and is available below.

Need help or have questions? Contact us at ea-ee@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca.

A flow chart explaining how multiple elements and programs feed into the environmental protection review under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, where CNSC compliance monitoring comes in, and which environmental protection measures licensees are responsible for.

Stand-alone reviews

Province Location Licensee or applicant Facility Title Report date Related Commission proceeding
Ontario Pickering Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Environmental Protection Review Report - Pickering Nuclear Site January 2024 Public Hearing, June 17, 2024
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Cameco Corporation McArthur River Operation McArthur River Operation January 2023 Public hearing, June 7-8, 2023
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Cameco Corporation Key Lake Operation Key Lake Operation January 2023 Public hearing, June 7-8, 2023
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Cameco Corporation Rabbit Lake Rabbit Lake Operation January 2023 Public hearing, June 7-8, 2023
Ontario Port Hope Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) Port Hope Area Initiative Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) October 2022 Public Hearing, November 22, 2022
Ontario Clarington Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Darlington Waste Management Facility Darlington Waste Management Facility (DWMF) October 2022 Public Hearing, January 25 and/or 26, 2023
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Orano Canada Inc. (formerly AREVA Resources Canada Inc.) Cluff Lake project Environmental Project Review Report - Cluff Lake Project August 2022 Public Hearing – March 1, 2023
Ontario Port Hope Cameco Fuel Manufacturing Inc. Nuclear fuel fabrication facility Cameco Fuel Manufacturing (CFM) July 2022 Public Hearing, November 23, 2022
Ontario Pembroke SRB Technologies (Canada) Inc. Nuclear substance processing facility SRB Technologies March 2023 (Revision 1.1) Public Hearing, April 27, 2022
New Brunswick Lepreau New Brunswick Power Corporation Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS) December 2021 Public hearing, Part 1, January 26, 2022; Part 2, May 11-12, 2022
Ontario Blind River Cameco Blind River Refinery Environmental Protection Review Report: Blind River Refinery April 2021 Public hearing – November 24, 2021

Reviews made available through hearing documents

Province Location Licensee or applicant Facility Title Report date Related Commission proceeding
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Cameco Corporation Cigar Lake Operation Environmental Protection Review Report – executive summary April 2021 Public Hearing – April 28 and 29, 2021
Ontario Kincardine Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd Douglas Point Waste Management Facility Environmental Protection Review Report – executive summary November 2020 Public Hearing – November 25-26 2020
Ontario Toronto & Peterborough BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. BWXT Toronto & BWXT Peterborough Environmental Protection Review Report – executive summary December 2019

Public Hearing – March 2, 2020

Public Hearing – March 3, 2020

Public Hearing – March 4, 2020

Public Hearing – March 5, 2020

Public Hearing – March 6, 2020

Manitoba Pinawa Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Whiteshell Laboratories Environmental Protection Review Report – Executive summary (PDF) July 2019

Public hearing – October 2, 2019

Public hearing – October 3, 2019

Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Research Council SLOWPOKE-2 reactor facility Amendment of the operating licence – Executive summary June 2019 Public hearing – September 26, 2019
Saskatchewan Athabasca Basin Orano Canada Inc. (formerly AREVA Resources Canada Inc.) Cluff Lake project Application to renew decommissioning licence – Executive summary March 2019 Public hearing – May 15, 2019
Ontario Pickering Ontario Power Generation Inc. Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) March 2018

Public hearing, Part 1
April 4, 2018

Public hearing, Part 2
June 26 to 28, 2018

Ontario Kincardine Bruce Power Inc. Bruce Nuclear Generating Station Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) February 2018

Public hearing, Part 1
March 14, 2018

Public hearing, Part 2
May 30 and 31, 2018

Ontario Chalk River Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd Chalk River Laboratories Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) September 2017 Public hearing – January 23 to 25, 2018
Saskatchewan McClean Lake AREVA McClean Lake uranium mine and mill Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) February 2017 Public hearing – June 7 and 8, 2017
Ontario Pickering Ontario Power Generation Inc. Pickering Waste Management Facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) February 2017 Public hearing – April 12, 2017
Ontario Kincardine Ontario Power Generation Inc. Western Waste Management Facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary (PDF) December 2016 Public hearing – April 12, 2017
New Brunswick Point Lepreau NB Power Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) November 2016

Public hearing, Part 1 – January 26, 2017

Public hearing, Part 2 – May 10 and 11, 2017

Ontario Port Hope Cameco Corporation Port Hope Conversion Facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary (PDF) September 2016 Public hearing – November 8 and 9, 2016
Quebec Bécancour Hydro-Québec Gentilly-2 nuclear facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) March 2016 Public hearing – May 5, 2016
Ontario Bowmanville Ontario Power Generation Inc. Darlington Nuclear Generating Station Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary (PDF) June 2015

Public hearing, Part 1 – August 19, 2015

Public hearing, Part 2 – November 2 to 5, 2015

Ontario Pembroke SRB Technologies (Canada) Inc. SRB Technologies (Canada) Inc. facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) March 2015 Public hearing – May 14, 2015
Ontario Peterborough Shield Source Inc. Shield Source Inc. nuclear processing facility Clean-up and Abandonment of Shield Source Inc. (PDF) March 2015 Hearing – March 28, 2014
Ontario Municipality of Kincardine Bruce Power Inc. Bruce A and B nuclear generating stations Environmental Assessment Information Report (PDF) February 2015

Public hearing, Part 1 – February 5, 2015

Public hearing, Part 2 – April 13 to 16, 2015

Ontario Chalk River NAC International Inc. Chalk River Laboratories Technical assessment report on the transportation of highly enriched uranyl nitrate liquid from Chalk River Laboratories to the United States (PDF)
(see Appendix A)
December 2014

Public meeting – May 16, 2013

(Read also about the public consultation on HEUNL transport package design)

Ontario Ottawa Best Theratronics Ltd. Best Theratronics Ltd. facility Environmental Assessment Report – Executive summary  (PDF) November 2013 Public hearing – May 8, 2014

Page details

Date modified: