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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 01-03 84 CitJ¡ o~ REPORT TO COUNCIL Report Number: CAO 01-03 Date: January 13, 2003 From: Thomas J. Quinn Chief Administrative Officer Subject: PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility Operating License Renewal City of Pickering Comments File: 0-5260-003-03 Recommendation: 1. That Report CAO 01-03 regarding PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility Operating License Renewal be received; 2. That Council inform the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) that it does not object to the renewal of the PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility License providing that the term of renewal does not exceed three years; 3. That Report CAO 01-03 be forwarded to the CNSC, Ontario Power Generation, the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities, and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Executive Summary: The current Pickering (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility operating license that was issued by CNSC on April 1, 2001, expires on March 31, 2003. CNSC has received an application request from OPG to renew this license, this time for a period of five-years. Comments on the license renewal are requested by January 2ih, 2003. Acres & Associated assisted staff in reviewing the license renewal request. Acres' comments are attached to this Report. They have no technical objection to the license renewal. Staff concurs with Acres' technical assessment. However, we do have a concern with the issuance of a five-year license. As a host municipality, the City should be afforded the opportunity by CNSC to review and comment on license renewals at least once during every term of office of City Council. To ensure that this occurs, the maximum license extension issued by CNSC should therefore not exceed three years. Accordingly, staff recommends that Council advise CNSC that the City does not object to the license renewal for the Waste Management Facility providing the term of the license renewal does not exceed three years. Report CAO 01-03 Date: January 13, 2003 85 Subject: PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility Operating License Renewal City of Pickering Comments Page 2 Financial Implications: OPG has agreed to cover the consulting costs to the City for reviewing the license renewal application. Background: The Pickering (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility includes the Pickering Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility and the Retube Component Area. Attachment #1 is a photograph of the facility. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has applied to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to renew the operating license for the existing Pickering (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility. In December 2002, CNSC staff presented an overview of the OPG application to the Commission. The overview provided information on the application from a regulatory perspective, including OPG's past perform at the facility. Using a five point rating system (which addressed the overall program, implementation, and changes), CNSC staff gave a favourable assessment of the Waste Management Facility. A copy of the CNSC staff report is available for viewing through the CAO's Office. CNSC staff recommended that the existing two-year license be renewed for a period of five years. CNSC provided various reasons to support this recommendation, including the following: 1. The hazards involved in the operation of the facility are well known and their impacts are well understood; those hazards are within the scope of the original environmental assessment and were addressed in the recent CNSC facility safety report. 2. The measures and programs for protecting the health and safety of persons and the environment are established and appropriate to control the hazards posed by the Waste Management Facility. 3. There are effective compliance programs in place on the part of both the CNSC and OPG. 4. OPG has demonstrated a consistent record of good safety performance and regulatory compliance in relation to the Waste Management Facility during the conduct of the licensed activities. 86 Report CAO 01-03 Date: January 13, 2003 Subject: PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility Operating License Renewal City of Pickering Comments Page 3 City staff requested Acres & Associated to review the cNSC staff report and provide a technical comment. Acres' comments are included as Attachment #2 to this Report. Acres concurs with the information presented in the CNSC staff report, including the assessment of the facility's operating record. They found no technical reason to object to a renewal of the operating license for the Waste Management Facility. After reviewing all relevant information, staff agrees that a license renewal is appropriate from a technical perspective. However, if the City, as a host municipality, is to playa meaningful role in CNSc's regulatory process, the maximum period of any license renewal at PNGS should not exceed the normal term of a municipal council. OPG has requested a five-year license renewal for the Waste Management Facility, and cNSC staff agrees with this request. Nonetheless, to ensure the City has an opportunity to review and comment on all license renewals at PNGS at least once during every term of council, no license renewal should be granted for a period that exceeds three years. Accordingly, staff recommends that Council advise CNSC that it has no objection to the issuance of a license renewal for the Waste Management Facility so long as the term of the renewal does not exceed three years. Day Two of the hearing for this license renewal will take place on February 27, 2003. This Report and the related Council resolution will be provided as input to the Commission in advance of that meeting. The City also has the option of attending Day Two of the hearing in Ottawa to supplement this written submission with a verbal report to the Commission. Attachments: 1. Photograph of the existing Pickering (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility 2. Letter from Acres & Associates dated January 6, 2003 Report CAO 01-03 Date: January 13, 2003 87 Subject: PNGS (Nuclear) Waste Management Facility Operating License Renewal City of Pickering Comments Page 4 Prepared By: Approved I Endorsed By: "\ ..,/ ~\ /- /7; ~/V AL. (Joe) unwicks I Emergency Response Coordinator - "'" Thomas E. ely uk Division Head, Corporate Projects & Polic , T JQ:alh Attachments Copy: Division Head, Corporate Projects & Policy Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Cou cil .~ /' 88 ATTACHMENT# \ TO REPORT#<:'~ C>\~C~ PICKERING (NUCLEAR) WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY ATTACHMENT#~TO REPORT#c'~ ~\.c~ Acres & Associateð ~\ 89 January 6, 2003 File: 2002-5897 - 5.0 Environmental Scientists and Consulting Engineers City of Pickering Pickering Civic Complex One The Esplanade Pickering, Ontario L1V 6K7 Attention: Mr. A.L. (Joe) Hunwicks Emergency Response Coordinator Re: REVIEW AND COMMENTS APPLICATION FOR OPERATING LICENCE RENEWAL FOR PICKERING WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY (PHASE I) Dear Mr. Hunwicks: As requested, we have reviewed the following documents in connection with Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for renewal of OPG's Operating Licence for the above noted facility. 1. Information and Recommendations of CNSC Staff (Document CMD 02- H28) to the CNSC at the Public Hearing Day 1 (December 12, 2002); 2. Documentary Information Summary (Document CMD 02-H28.1); 3. OPG's Presentation to the CNSC (Document CMD 02-H28.1A) at the Public Hearing Day 1 (December 13, 2002). In general, there are no particular environmental issues which, in our opinion, would preclude renewal of the licence. As discussed in these documents: . There are no triggers that would require an assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). . CNSC staff has rated the seven Safety Area programs designed to protect workers, the environment and the public (see Section 3.0 on page 4 of 21 from the Information and Recommendations ofCNSC Staff document) and have concluded that these programs have met the requirements with respect to the program and its implementation (see Section 6.1 on page 17 of 21 from this document). In particular, the implementation of the 'Operating Acres & Associateð Environmental L1miteð 525-21 Four Seasons Place, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6J8 Â. 4342 Queen Street, P.O. Box 1001, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6Wl Telephone (416) 622-9502 Facsimile (416) 622-6249 Telephone (905) 374-4470 Facsimile (905) 374-8365 ATTACHMENT# ~ TO REPORT#~ o\~ o~ 9n January 6, 2003 The City of Pickering - 2 Performance', 'Environmental Performance' and 'Radiation Protection' safety area programs were all rated by CNSC staff as having exceeded the requirements. . Reference was made to OPG's plans for construction of Phase IT of the Pickering Waste Management Facility (PWMF) - more particularly Phase II of the Pickering Used Fuel Dry Storage Facility (PUFDSF) - in Section 4.3 of the Information and Recommendations of CNSC Staff document. This proposed facility will be subj ectto an environmental assessment under CEAA and will require an amendment to the licence if approved (not expected to occur before September 2004). We hope our comments are of assistance in formulating your Staff Report to Council and reply to the CNSC. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (905) 374-4470, should you have any questions concerning the above. Yours truly, ACRES & ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITED q~¥ Bruce G. Bennett, M.Sc. Project Manager BGB M :\AandA \Projects\2002\O25897\Report\Ph ase 1 LicRenewal^ltr. wpd Acres & Associateð ..\