Participant Funding Program Decision – Regulatory Oversight Report for Canadian Nuclear Power Generating Sites: 2019 and update on Ontario Power Generation's Darlington Nuclear Generating Station refurbishment project

On July 8, 2020, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced that it was offering a total of $35,000 under its Participant Funding Program (PFP) to assist members of the public, Indigenous peoples and stakeholders in reviewing two topics and submitting comments on them in writing to the Commission. One topic was CNSC staff’s Regulatory Oversight Report for Canadian Nuclear Power Generating Sites: 2019. The other was an update on the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) refurbishment project at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (NGS).

It was also announced that Indigenous intervenors may make oral presentations. This additional opportunity was made available to Indigenous intervenors in the spirit of reconciliation and in recognition of the Indigenous oral tradition of sharing knowledge. Oral presentations will be made remotely due to potential travel restrictions or limitations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Participant funding was made available by the CNSC:

• to help provide new, distinctive and valuable information to the Commission through informed and topic-specific interventions
• to assist interested parties in reviewing the report, the update on OPG’s refurbishment project at the Darlington NGS, and in submitting written comments to the Commission

A funding review committee (FRC), independent from the CNSC, was established to review the funding applications received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator, and to make recommendations on the allocation of up to $35,000 for eligible applicants.

The FRC members were:

• Paul Scott, retired regional director of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s Vancouver office
• Bruce Young, retired Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency director
• Steve Burgess, retired Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency director 

The FRC reviewed the five PFP applications received by the CNSC.

Eligibility and funding criteria

For more information on participant funding and how it works, including details on eligibility and funding criteria, please read the PFP guide.

CNSC participant funding decision

The CNSC has carefully considered the FRC’s recommendations on the allocation of participant funding for the report and update on OPG’s refurbishment project at the Darlington NGS, and has approved the reimbursement of up to $23,971.44 to the following recipients:

Applicant	Maximum amount of available funding
Canadian Environmental Law Association	$5,000
Curve Lake First Nation	$5,676
Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki	$2,695.44
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper	$10,600
Total	$23,971.44

Additional information:

Adam Zenobi
Participant Funding Program Administrator, CNSC
Tel.: 613-415-2814
Email: pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca