Environmental Protection Review Report: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Douglas Point Waste Management Facility - WFDL-W4-332.02/2034 Licence Amendment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) conducts Environmental Protection Reviews (EPRs) for all licence applications with potential environmental interactions, in accordance with its mandate under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), to ensure the protection of the environment and the health of persons. An EPR is a science-based environmental technical assessment by CNSC staff as set out in the NSCA. The fulfillment of other aspects of the CNSC’s mandate, such as safety and security, are met through other regulatory oversight activities.

This EPR Report was written by CNSC staff for the Commission, Indigenous peoples and the public. It describes the scientific, evidence-based findings from CNSC staff’s review of the application by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to amend the Waste Facility Decommissioning Licence (WFDL), WFDL-W4-332.02/2034, to proceed with final decommissioning of the Douglas Point Waste Facility (DPWF).

The CNSC’s EPR Report can be read as a stand-alone document that focuses on topics that are of current public and regulatory interest, such as releases of radiological and hazardous substances to the receiving environment, as well as effects on valued components, including species at risk, during decommissioning activities.

This EPR Report includes CNSC staff’s assessment of the documents submitted in support of the licence application, as well as, but not limited to the following:

• the results of effluent monitoring, as reported in CNL’s Annual Compliance Monitoring Reports
• CNL’s Environmental Effects Review and Environmental Risk Assessment
• CNL’s Detailed Decommissioning Plan
• the findings of CNSC staff’s Federal Lands Review (section 67 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012) conducted to assess the potential environmental effects of the proposed licence application, as well as any mitigation measures necessary to prevent, reduce or control these effects
• the results of CNSC’s Independent Environmental Monitoring Program
• the results from other regional monitoring programs and/or health studies conducted in proximity to the DPWF by other levels of government

The information provided in this EPR Report supports the conclusions made by CNSC staff in Commission Member Document 20-H4 that based on CNSC staff’s assessment of CNL’s application, supporting documents and past performance, CNL continues to implement and maintain an effective environmental protection program to adequately protect the environment and the health of persons. The information provided in this EPR Report also supports CNSC staff’s conclusion that, taking into account all proposed mitigation measures and their proper implementation, the proposed decommissioning activities are not likely to cause significant adverse effects on the environment and the people at or around the DPWF.