Expertise of the proposed waste management facility near the surface of Chalk River Laboratories - Report 2022

The Montreal metropolitan community is concerned about the presence of nuclear waste management or storage facilities at the Chalk River site. Located 200 kilometers upstream from the Ottawa-Gatineau region, this nuclear complex has served as a laboratory for the development of the Canadian nuclear industry since the 1950's. A surface storage facility for low-level radioactive waste is planned on the site of a wetland close to the Ottawa River, which is a major source of drinking water for a large proportion of Greater Montreal's residents. In this context, the Community had, in 2018, mandated ACRO to carry out an assessment of the nuclear landfill project proposed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (the promoter) in order to issue recommendations on measures likely to improve the project while assuring Community authorities that best practices would be implemented with the primary aim of protecting the metropolitan territory's drinking water supply. Following the evolution of the project, notably with the publication of the Environmental Impact Study and a new consultation, the Montreal metropolitan community commissioned ACRO to update its report, which constitutes the present document. The Montreal metropolitan community's submission to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is attached to the report