Participant Funding Program decision – Applicability of the Darlington New Nuclear Project environmental assessment and plant parameter envelope to Ontario Power Generation's selected reactor technology

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced on April 3, 2023, that it was offering up to $100,000 under its Participant Funding Program (PFP). This funding was to assist Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and stakeholders in reviewing the documentation on the applicability of the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) environmental assessment and plant parameter envelope to Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) selected BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) technology, and in participating in the hearing process by providing topic-specific interventions to the Commission.

Background

The CNSC made participant funding available:

• for the provision of new, distinctive and valuable information to the Commission through informed and topic-specific interventions
• to assist interested parties in reviewing the DNNP environmental assessment for OPG’s selected BWRX-300 SMR technology

A funding review committee (FRC), independent of 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 $100,000 to eligible applicants. The FRC was given the flexibility to recommend funding beyond $100,000 based on the value-added nature of the funding applications received.

The FRC members were:

• Kurt Saunders, retired director, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• James Taylor, retired senior advisor, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

On June 21, 2023, the FRC met to review the 11 PFP applications received, requesting a total of $342,825.43.

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 carefully considered the FRC’s recommendations on the allocation of participant funding and approved the reimbursement of up to $113,220.63* to the following recipients:

Applicant	Maximum amount of available funding
Métis Nation of Ontario	$13,200
Gordon Edwards	$3,000
Canadian Environmental Law Association	$7,875
Nuclear Transparency Project	$10,000
Radiation Safety Institute of Canada	$10,000
Hiawatha First Nation	$20,790
Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation	$18,233.93
Northwatch	$8,890.50
Saugeen Ojibway Nation	$21,231.20
TOTAL	$113,220.63*

* In addition, the CNSC awarded funding to Curve Lake First Nation to meet with CNSC staff to discuss the applicability of the DNNP environmental assessment and plant parameter envelope to Ontario Power Generation’s selected BWRX-300 SMR technology.

Additional information

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