Canadian approach to decommissioning

Besides the well known power reactors now operating, or near operation, in Canada, there are, in existence, several research, low power and demonstration reactors. Different concepts of decommissioning are applied to these two categories depending upon their usage. Only decommissioning studies have been carried out on reactors, so far, through some support facilities, e.g. mines have been or are being decommissioned to various levels. The planning and execution of the lay-up exercise which has been done at the 250-MWe demonstration reactor, Gentilly-1, has demonstrated the type of consideration which would be required to take a CANDU reactor to the Stage 1 option. The current low level studies of the decommissioning of the 600-MWe CANDU reactors have partially resolved some of the relevant problems of waste management, particularly waste quantities and characterization. These results are particularly applicable to the design concepts of future waste disposal facilities in Canada. 8 figures, 2 tables