Plain language summary

The regulatory oversight report (ROR) describes the oversight activities by the CNSC and safety performance of nuclear power generating sites, consisting of nuclear power plants (NPPs) and their associated Waste Management Facilities (WMFs), in Canada in 2023. For certain topics, updates on developments in 2024 are also described.

The following facilities are governed by a single CNSC licence. For this reason, they are assessed together in this report:

• Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, which includes the Tritium Removal Facility and Retube Waste Processing Building
• Darlington Waste Management Facility
• Pickering Nuclear Generating Station
• Pickering Waste Management Facility
• Bruce Nuclear Generating Station A and B
• Western Waste Management Facility
• Radioactive Waste Operations Site-1
• Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, which includes the Solid Radioactive Waste Management Facility
• Gentilly-2 Facilities, which consist of the nuclear generating station in a safe shutdown state, and associated waste storage facilities

CNSC staff verified, and confirmed, the safe operation of the NPPs and WMFs in 2023. This conclusion was based on CNSC staff assessments of findings from compliance verification activities for each facility in the 14 CNSC safety and control areas (SCAs).

The conclusion was further supported by other observations, including the following:

• No serious process failures occurred at the NPPs. The number of unplanned power reductions, transients and trips in the reactors was low and acceptable to CNSC staff. All unplanned power reductions and transients in the reactors were controlled and safely managed.
• Radiation doses to the public and to workers at the NPPs and WMFs were below the regulatory limits.
• The frequency and severity of non-radiological injuries to workers were low.
• Radiological releases to the environment from the NPPs and WMFs were below regulatory limits.
• Licensees met the applicable requirements related to Canada’s international obligations; safeguards inspection results were acceptable to the IAEA.

The SCAs at all NPPs and WMFs were rated as “satisfactory”.

Referenced documents in this report are available to the public upon request, subject to confidentiality considerations.

The full report is available to download on the Open Government Portal.

Regulatory Oversight Report for Canadian Nuclear Power Generating Sites for 2023