Near Surface Disposal Facility Project
The Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) is a proposed engineered disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste planned for the Chalk River Laboratories site (CRL). All waste to be disposed at the NSDF will be required to meet the waste acceptance criteria established to assure compliance with operational and long-term safety requirements.
The Near Surface Disposal Facility is planned to have an operating life of at least 50 years and as proposed, would be an engineered mound built at near-surface level on the CRL site. The engineered mound would be cellular, made up of multiple disposal cells consisting of:
- base liner and final cover systems
- leachate collection and leak detection systems
- environmental monitoring systems
The proposed project would also include:
- a wastewater treatment plant
- supporting infrastructure, such as a truck wheel wash, vehicle monitoring and weighing stations, work stations and change facilities, security systems to monitor access and egress, construction trailers, and marine containers or tents for storage of construction materials
Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, CNL's proposal requires approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and involves an amendment to the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) Nuclear Research and Test Establishment Operating Licence. An environmental assessment (EA) conducted under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 is required, and an EA decision affirming that the proposed activities will not cause significant adverse environmental effects, before the CNSC can make a licensing decision on this proposal.
Disclaimer
This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.
Latest update
Overall, the FPRT found that CNL has adequately revised the final EIS in response to the majority of the FPRT’s information requests. However, CNSC staff found that there is still outstanding information that is required to satisfy requirements for Indigenous engagement. Due to this information gap, CNSC staff to cannot draw conclusions nor proceed with drafting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 environmental assessment report (EA Report). Therefore, CNSC staff have deemed that the information provided in CNL’s submission is not complete, and as such, the final EIS cannot be deemed acceptable.
Upon resubmission of a final EIS, CNSC staff will perform a subsequent review. Should the final EIS submission be deemed complete and acceptable at that time, CNSC staff will then notify CNL of the results of the review and proceed with the preparation of an EA Report, which will be made available for review by Indigenous groups and the public prior to a public Commission hearing.
December 4, 2020 - On December 4, 2020, CNSC staff received CNL’s submission of a final EIS, including federal and provincial comment tables and public and Indigenous comment tables. A 35-day review of the final EIS package is now underway by the federal and provincial review team to confirm that all information requests and comments on the draft EIS have been addressed.
Once the federal and provincial review team have completed their review and CNSC staff deem the final EIS as acceptable, the final EIS and comment tables will be posted on this webpage as well as on the CNSC web page. CNSC staff will then complete drafting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 environmental assessment report which will be made available for review by Indigenous groups and the public prior to a public Commission hearing. Indigenous groups and members of the public are encouraged to review these documents and to submit their comments in the form of an intervention (either orally or in writing). All interventions will be taken into consideration by the Commission prior to the Commission making environmental assessment and licensing decisions on the proposed project.
CNSC will be holding additional public webinars in the upcoming months where CNSC staff will continue provide updates on the project and will be available to answer your questions on the project review to date.
November 20, 2020 - The Federal and Provincial Review team (FPRT) have completed their review of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ (CNL) responses to the 37 outstanding information requests that resulted from the technical review of CNL’s revised draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF). In October 2020, the FPRT determined that CNL has sufficiently responded to all of the information requests. CNSC is anticipating the submission of CNL’s final EIS in early December 2020.
Once the CNSC reviews CNL’s final EIS and considers it to be complete, an environmental assessment report under CEAA 2012 will be drafted and made available for review by Indigenous groups and the public prior to a public Commission hearing.
CNSC will be holding public webinars in the upcoming months where CNSC staff will provide an update on the project and will be available to answer your questions on the project review to date.
April 9, 2020 - The Federal and Provincial Review Team (FPRT) has completed their technical review of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' (CNL) revised draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility, including updated supporting documents, and responses to all federal and provincial comments and information requests (IRs) (step 26 in Appendix A of the CNL–CNSC Administrative Protocol for the Proposed Near Surface Disposal Facility), available here.
Led by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), the federal and provincial authorities that participated in the technical review included Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and the Quebec Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changement climatiques. The FPRT technical review resulted in 37 IRs in total, several of these follow-up comments on existing IRs as well as several new IRs resulting from the review of new information. The CNSC submitted the consolidated table of federal and provincial comments from the FPRT technical review to CNL on April 3, 2020. CNL must now respond to these additional federal and provincial comments. The CNSC, in collaboration with the FPRT, will then make a determination on whether the information provided in CNL's submissions is complete.
Participate
Key documents
Document Number | Document Title | File | Date |
---|---|---|---|
272 | NSDF Final EIS FPRT Review Results | PDF (620 KB) | January 26, 2021 |
List all records
External Links
Please note that access to external websites is provided solely as a courtesy. Users should be aware that the information offered by non‑Government of Canada websites that are not subject to the Official Languages Act might be available in only one language.
- Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012
- Canadian Nuclear Laboratories - Near Surface Disposal Facility
- Nuclear Safety and Control Act
Contacts
Canadian Nuclear Safety CommissionNicole Frigault, Environmental Assessment Officer
280 Slater Street
P.O. Box 1046, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5S9
Telephone: 613-995-7948 or 1-800-668-5284
Fax: 613-995-5086
Email: cnsc.ea-ee.ccsn@canada.ca
-
Location
- Deep River (Ontario)
-
Nature of Activity
- Nuclear Energy
- Waste Management
-
Assessment Status
In progress -
Start Date
2016-05-05 -
Proponent
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories -
Authorities
- Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
-
Assessment Type
Environmental assessment under CEAA 2012 -
Reference Number
80122
Nearby assessments
..within 200 kilometres-
Micro Modular Reactor Project at Chalk River
Chalk River -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Material Pit Expansion Project
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Multi-Purpose Waste Handling Facility
Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River On -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Effluent Monitoring Stations Upgrade Project
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Heel Storage Removal Project
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Waste Management Area Modification Project
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Parking Lot Modification Project
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Building Demolition Project
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Access Road Upgrade
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Fire Alarm Panel Replacement Project
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Geotechnical Activities
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Bulk Storage Laydown Area
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Intermediate Level Waste Storage Area
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Cask Facility Project
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Covered Structure
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Office Trailer Expansion
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Upgraded Electrical Services
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Contractor Management Trailer Complex
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario -
Remediation of B, C, D, E, and Y Ranges, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Range and Training Area Various Culvert Replacements 2021, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Range and Training Area Various Culvert Replacements, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Replace Culvert on 'A' Range Road at Tucker Creek, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Upgrade Storage Tank Systems at Various Locations, Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Construct Heavy Equipment (SNIC) parking area near building CC095, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Project is located on Battle Road within the Garrison of Petawawa -
Highway 17 Access, Garrison Petawawa
Highway 17, near Garrison Petawawa -
Highway 17 Access, Garrison Petawawa
Highway 17, near Garrison Petawawa -
Land Vehicle Crew Training System, Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Logistics/Enhanced Recovery Vehicle and Combined Heavy Construction Equipment Replacement Facility, Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Replace Culvert on Chalk River Road, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Demolition of aged Royal Canadian Dragoon facilities at Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Storage Tank Installation, Garrison Petawawa
POL Waste Storage Facility 184 Pashmul Road Unit D-106, Garrison Petawawa -
Construct Sidewalks on Montgomery Road Phase 1, Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Fencing Soil Transfer Site, Garrison Petawawa
Garrison Petawawa -
Replace Culvert on Orange Road, Garrison Petawawa Range and Training Area
Range and Training Area of Garrison Petawawa -
Nuclear Power Demonstration Closure Project
Rolphton -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility: Modification to Crawl Space
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility, Rolphton, Ontario -
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility Modification to Building Crawl Space
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Nuclear Power Demonstration Waste Facility, Rolphton, Ontario -
Algonquins of Pikwakanagan - Water Supply and Treatment System
Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, Ontario -
Dock Removal - Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park -
Lac la Pêche Sanitary Block - Gatineau Park, lac La Pêche, Municipality of Pontiac, Québec
lac la Pêche, Masham, Québec -
Wanaki Center Expansion Project
Kitigan Zibi -
Kipawa Rare Earths Project
Kipawa -
Gas Pipeline Installation Along Old Chelsea Road
Chelsea -
Construction of a private driveway off Notch Road
Chelsea, Quebec -
CBC / Radio-Canada Warehouse Expansion at 2415 Richardson Side Road
2415 Richardson Side Road -
Carling Campus Accessibility Improvements
Carling Campus -
Carling Campus Parkade
Carling Campus -
Forest and Nature School
Ottawa -
Septic Field to serve Forest & Nature Child Care Centre
Ottawa -
Abandoned Gasoline Station
Abandoned Gasoline Station -
LeBreton Flats Pathway
Ottawa -
City of Ottawa Stormwater Management Outfall Rehabilitations
Ottawa -
Pump House Flood Protection
Tunney's Pasture Pump House -
Construction of Berms at Connaught Park
Connaught Park -
Removal of Pad-Mount Transformer and Switchgear
DND Data Centre -
Finance Annex Cleaning Projects
Finance Annex -
Update Fuel Tank System
Place du Portage IV -
Zibi Community Utility Project
Chaudière Bridge -
Application for Leave to Abandon Pipelines under Order MO-071-2018
Chaudière Bridge -
Hull Causeway Widening
Chaudière Crossing, Hull to Ottawa -
Place du Portage III Renewal Project
Place du Portage III -
Hydro Ottawa Utility Relocation
Ottawa -
NA
NA -
City of Ottawa Stormwater Management Outfall Rehabilitations
Ottawa -
Nepean Point Redevelopment, Part 1B
Ottawa -
Nepean Point Redevelopment
Ottawa -
Reconstruction of Albert Street, Queen Street, Slater Street and Bronson Avenue
Ottawa -
West Block Exterior Lighting
West Block -
East Block Exterior Lighting
East Block -
Rideau River Eastern Pathway Stanley Avenue Missing Link - Proposed Multi-use Pathway
Ottawa -
Upgrade of Hemlock Pumping Station
Hemlock Pumping Station -
Parking Lot Repairs
350 King Edward -
Correct Fuel Tank Deficiencies
350 King Edward -
Seasonal Tennis Dome Installation at Rideau Sports Centre
-
Sir John Carling West Annex Demolition
Sir John Carling West Annex -
Best Theratronics Class 1B Licence Application
Ottawa -
City of Ottawa Stormwater Management Outfall Rehabilitations
Ottawa -
Marina Construction Project
Kebaowek -
City of Ottawa Stormwater Management Outfall Rehabilitations
Ottawa -
City of Ottawa Stormwater Management Outfall Rehabilitations
Ottawa -
Riverain Park Recreation Amenity Enhancements
Riverain Park -
NCC Bistro at Patterson Creek Park: Interior Fit Up of Pavilion, Universal Access Improvements and Landscape Design on Exterior Patio
Ottawa -
Baseline Transitway Project - Baseline Station to Heron Station
Ottawa -
Rehabilitation of the Colonel By Drive Wall
Ottawa - Rideau Canal -
Nepean Sportsplex Parking Lot Rehabilitation
Ottawa -
Bank Street Bridge Repairs, City of Ottawa
Rideau Canal National Historic Site -
Rideau River Cableway Decommissioning
Rideau River -
Rideau River Cableway Decommissioning
Ottawa -
Eastern Ontario Campus
3153 Dwyer Hill Road, Ashton -
Sir Leonard Tilley Building C-Wing Retrofit
Sir Leonard Tilley Building -
Repave South-East Parking Lot
Exhibition Commission Site -
Tunnel Repairs
National Defence Medical Centre Dental Wing -
Timiskaming Dam-Bridge of Quebec Replacement Project
Temiscaming -
Replace roof of building at 4210 Labelle Street
4210 Labelle Street, Ottawa -
Ottawa Light Rail Transit: Light rail transit from Tunney's Pasture to Blair Station, including a downtown tunnel
Ottawa -
1471 Blair Road (Pineview Golf Course): Construction of Two Irrigation Ponds
Ottawa -
Conduit Design for the Communication Towers at Major E.F.G Holland VC Armoury
Major E.J.G. Holland VC Armoury located at 2100 Walkley Road -
Indoor Riding Arena
Ottawa -
Boiler Upgrade
Building 351 -
Installation of a Portable Storage Container Compound at the Technical and Protective Operations Facility (TPOF)
Ottawa -
Storm Sewer Rehabilitation: Blackburn Hamlet Bypass and Renaud Road
Ottawa -
Creation of an Irrigation Pond to Support Organic Vegetable Grower
Ottawa -
Underground Complex Substation Replacement, North Bay, ON
Approximately 1.8 km south of 22 Wing's Main Base -
Manston Crescent Municipal Upgrades, Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario
Manston Crescent is located on the north end of Canadian Forces Base, 22 Wing, in North Bay -
Widening of Inland Boat Slip, 5657 South Island Park Drive
Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada -
Aggregate Extraction, Albion Road, Ottawa International Airport
4788 Albion Road, Ottawa -
Energy East Project
North Bay -
Dock Modification and Boathouse Repair - 189 Pine Ridge Lane, Adam's Lake, Rideau Canal National Historic Site
Rideau Canal National Historic Site -
Rideau Ferry Bridge Rehabilitation, County of Lanark
County of Lanark -
Town of Smiths Falls Multi-Use Trail Widening
Rideau Canal National Historic Site -
City of Ottawa Culvert Replacement, Commodore Drive
Rideau Canal National Historic Site -
Dock Installation - River Road, Burritt's Rapids, Rideau Canal National Historic Site
Rideau Canal National Historic Site -
Nipissing First Nation - New Road Development: Yellek to Duchesnay
Nipissing First Nation - New Road Development: Yellek to Duchesnay -
Dockside Dredge Trent-Severn In-Water and Shoreline Works Permit 190113
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
Construction of French Drains and Armour Stone Retaining Wall, Lion's Club of Merrickville Campground
Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada -
Burleigh Falls Dam Replacement, Trent-Severn Waterway
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
New Vehicle Storage Building
Ottawa International Airport -
Nappan Island Bridge Replacement, Municipality of Trent Hills
Municipality of Trent Hills -
TSW Water Soldier Herbicide Control 2020
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
Bobcaygeon Beach Park Redevelopment, Trent Severn Waterway, Bobcaygeon
Bobcaygeon -
1965 Pinehurst Ave., Selwyn, Upper Chemong Lake - Wet Slip Infill
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
South Frontenac Township Culvert Rehabilitation, Stafford Lane
Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada -
Campbellford Bridge/Trent River Crossing
Detailed Impact Assessment, Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
Nipissing First Nation - Upgrades and Expansion of Garden Village Water Treatment Plant
Nipissing First Nation -
Private Landowner Shoreline stabilization, Trent-Severn Waterway, Shoreline Works Permit 190274
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site -
Docks, Hasting Village Marina North and South Side
Hastings Village Marina -
Trent Rapids Power Corporation (TRPC), Peterborough Utilities Inc (PUI) Hydro Intake Excavation
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site