POINT LEPREAU NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION AND NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT

NB Power is committed to the safe and permanent disposal of nuclear waste.  

During routine operations, maintenance activities and refurbishment activities, the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station (PLNGS) generates three kinds of nuclear waste.

Not all nuclear waste is the same. There are three types of nuclear waste and each is managed differently based on its characteristics related to radiation and heat generation.

• Low-level waste includes work clothing, rags, equipment, tools, mops, shoe covers that may have trace amounts of radiation and requires special disposal methods and some short-term isolation.
• Intermediate-level waste includes ion-exchange resins and activated reactor components - Requires some long-term isolation and special disposal methods.
• High-level waste includes the irradiated fuel. Used fuel remains radioactive and generates heat long after use in the reactor.

Used fuel bundles will spend 7 to 10 years under water in the spent fuel bay which is about the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The used fuel bundles are then placed in a dry storage container and transferred inside the above ground dry storage concrete containers located at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station solid radioactive waste management facility.

Did you know?- if the used fuel bundles were stacked liked cordwood, all fuel bundles used at PLNGS since 1983 could fit in one third  of a NHL hockey rink from the ice surface to the top of the boards.

NB Power meets all federal and international obligations for Safeguards and is committed to the safe use of nuclear material.

Nuclear Waste Management Organization

The NWMO was established in 2002 by Canada’s nuclear electricity producers in accordance with the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act.

The NWMO is responsible for designing and implementing approaches for safely managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel over the long term in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come.

NB Power sets aside money as part of the ongoing operation of Point Lepreau to cover the costs of decommissioning the Station and the long term disposal of Radioactive Waste.

Integrated strategy for radioactive waste
Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste (nwmo.ca)

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has developed a strategy aimed to address gaps in waste disposal planning, from electricity generation to the production of medical isotopes. NB Power endorses the NWMO’s strategy and supports the goal of providing long-term solutions for all radioactive waste in Canada