CNSC Participant Funding Program decision: Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.'s nuclear research and test establishment decommissioning licence renewal for the Whiteshell Laboratories Site

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced on February 18, 2019, that it was offering $50,000 under its Participant Funding Program (PFP) to Indigenous peoples, members of the public, and stakeholders. These funds are to assist them to participate in the licence application review and the Commission’s public hearing process for the renewal of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) Ltd.’s nuclear research and test establishment decommissioning licence (NRTEDL) for the Whiteshell Laboratories Site for a period of 10 years.

Background

Participant funding was made available by the CNSC:

• for the provision of new, distinctive and valuable information to the Commission through informed and topic-specific interventions
• to assist interested parties to participate in the licence application review and the Commission’s public hearing process for the renewal of CNL’s NRTEDL for the Whiteshell Laboratories Site.

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 $50,000 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 five PFP applications received by the CNSC; the applicants had requested a total of $100,174.50.

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 in the matter of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd.’s NRTEDL renewal for the Whiteshell Laboratories Site and has approved the reimbursement of up to $63,299.50 to the following recipients:

Applicant	Maximum amount of available funding
Canadian Environmental Law Association	$8,100
Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County	$4,000
Northwatch	$6,964.50
Sagkeeng First Nation	$28,010
Manitoba Métis Federation	$16,225
Total	$63,299.50

Additional information:

Adam Zenobi
Participant Funding Program Administrator, CNSC
Tel.: 613-992-8469
Email: pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca