OPG's Deep Geologic Repository For Low And Intermediate Level Waste - Project Overview

Abstract

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is undergoing a multi-year planning and regulatory approvals process for a deep geologic repository (DGR) for the long-term management of low and intermediate level waste (L&ILW). The DGR Project involves the construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of a repository situated nominally at 680 metres below the Bruce nuclear site, near Tiverton, Ontario, in an argillaceous limestone formation. The basic need for the DGR Project derives from the fact that L&ILW consists of materials that can remain hazardous for hundreds, and in some case, thousands of years due to the presence of long-lived radionuclides. These long timeframes require that a solution be found that protects humans and the environment, that is passive, and that does not rely on long-term institutional control. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Preliminary Safety Report (PSR) and other supporting documents in support of a site preparation and construction licence for the project were submitted to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission on April 14, 2011 as part of the regulatory approvals process. The DGR is a first-of-a-kind facility in Canada for the long-term management of radioactive wastes. It is consistent with government policy and regulatory expectations and has the support of the local host community. Construction of the DGR is expected to start in 2013 with waste emplacement commencing about 2019. This paper provides an overview of the DGR project.