Port Hope: Port Hope Area Initiative

Progress on the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) which includes the Port Hope and Port Granby Projects, is a priority for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and its federal government partners. The CNSC has regulatory oversight and approval of both of these clean-up projects. The CNSC has issued a licence for both projects (details belows).

• Latest News: January 13, 2012 Government of Canada Announces Funding for Implementation Phase of the Port Hope Area Initiative (source: Natural Resources Canada)

Other Milestones

• On November 30, 2011,  the Commission Tribunal announced its decision to issue a Waste Nuclear Substance Licence to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for the Port Granby Long-Term Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Project for a period of 10 years.
• On October 16, 2009, the Commission Tribunal issued a licence to AECL for the Port Hope Project. The next step is to have the Port Granby Project come before the Commission Tribunal to consider a licensing decision. To ensure a transparent and timely process, the CNSC has signed a Protocol with Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the Port Granby Project environmental assessment and licensing requirements.
• Protocol: To ensure a transparent and timely process, the CNSC has signed a Protocol with Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the Port Granby Project environmental assessment and licensing requirements.
  • Operational Protocol for the Port Hope Project and Environmental Assessment Follow-Up Program Activities (PDF)
  • Revised Protocol for the Port Granby Project Licensing and Environmental Assessment Follow-Up Program Activities (PDF)
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• On September 30, 2010, a Protocol for Providing Radiological Status Information for the Port Hope Area Initiative to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission was signed by the CNSC and AECL. The purpose of this protocol is to define a high level process for the provision of information by AECL to the CNSC regarding properties that are suspected to be contaminated with low-level radioactive waste for which the owners have concerns about the need for remediation of the property.

Project description

PHAI is a community-initiated environmental remediation. Its goal is the cleanup and the safe long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington, Ontario. The waste, which is no longer produced, resulted from radium and uranium refining by a former federal Crown Corporation (Eldorado Nuclear) and its private sector predecessors from the 1930s to 1980s.

The federal government, through NRCan with an agreement from AECL is responsible for the long-term safe management throughout the Initiative as well as into the future.

For more information about PHAI, visit www.phai.ca.

One Initiative, Two Projects

PHAI represents a commitment by the Government of Canada to respond to the community-recommended solutions to this long-standing environmental problem. The two remediation projects under the Initiative are the Port Hope Project and the Port Granby Project.

The projects are moving forward in a phased approach:

Phase 1: The planning phase, involving environmental assessment and regulatory review of the PHAI

Phase 2: The implementation phase, involving facility construction and contaminated sites remediation

Phase 3: The post-closure phase, involving ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the PHAI-built facilities over the long-term

Read Commission Tribunal notices, transcripts and Records of Decision related to facilities in the Port Hope area.