Regulatory Oversight Report for Uranium and Nuclear Substance Processing for 2022

The Regulatory Oversight Report for Uranium and Nuclear Substance Processing Facilities in Canada: 2022 provides information on the safety performance of the following licensed facilities in Canada:

• Uranium processing facilities
  • Cameco Corporation Blind River Refinery, Blind River, Ontario
  • Cameco Corporation Port Hope Conversion Facility, Port Hope, Ontario
  • Cameco Fuel Manufacturing Inc., Port Hope, Ontario
  • BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario
  • BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc., Peterborough, Ontario
• Nuclear substance processing facilities
  • SRB Technologies (Canada) Inc., Pembroke, Ontario
  • Nordion (Canada) Inc., Ottawa, Ontario
  • Best Theratronics Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario
  • BWXT Medical Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario

Non-power reactors (McMaster University, Royal Military College of Canada, École Polytechnique de Montréal), which were last included in the 2020 Regulatory Oversight Report (ROR) will be included in a 2023 ROR as they are covered every 3 years.

This report is based on the work done by Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) staff to ensure the protection of the environment and the health and safety of the people around licensed uranium and nuclear substance processing facilities (UNSPFs) listed above.

In 2022, all facilities operated safely. Monitoring data showed that the water and the food grown nearby were safe for consumption. There were no releases from UNSPFs that could have harmed human health or the environment.

Each year, CNSC inspectors and experts complete inspections at the UNSPFs.  Over the reporting period, CNSC staff performed a total of 24 inspections at the UNSPFs listed above. These inspections resulted in the issuance of 55 notices of non-compliance, which were all related to issues identified as being of low safety significance.

The CNSC uses 14 safety and control areas (SCAs) to evaluate the performance of each licensee.  The SCA performance ratings in this report were derived from the results of activities conducted by CNSC staff to verify licensee compliance.  For the reporting period, CNSC staff rated all SCAs as “satisfactory” for each of the facilities covered in this report and confirmed that all facilities were operating safely.

The facilities discussed in this report lie within the traditional and/or treaty territories of many Indigenous Nations and communities. In 2022, CNSC staff undertook ongoing and meaningful engagement activities with Indigenous Nations and communities in relation to the facilities covered by this ROR.  The CNSC is also making efforts to follow up with previous intervenors to explore how to address issues raised.

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