[en] The Phytotoxicology Section, Air Resources Branch is a participant in the Pickering and Bruce Nuclear Contingency Plans. The Phytotoxicology Emergency Response Team is responsible for collecting vegetation samples in the event of a nuclear emergency at any of the nuclear generating stations in the province. As part of its responsibility the Phytotoxicology Section collects samples around the nuclear generating stations for comparison purposes in the event of an emergency. Because of the limited frequency of sampling, the data from the surveys are not intended to be used as part of a regulatory monitoring program. These data represent an effort by the MOE to begin to establish a data base of tritium concentrations in vegetation. The Phytotoxicology Section has carried out seven surveys in the vicinity of Ontario Hydro nuclear generating stations since 1981. Surveys were conducted for tritium in snow in the vicinity of Bruce Nuclear Power Development (BNPD), February, 1981; tritium in cell-free water of white ash in the vicinity of BNPD, September, 1981; tritium in snow in the vicinity of BNPD, March, 1982; tritium in tree sap in the vicinity of BNPD, April, 1982; tritium in tree sap in the vicinity of BNPD, April, 1984, tritium in the cell-free water of white ash in the vicinity of BNPD, September, 1985; and, tritium in cell-free water of grass in the vicinity of Pickering Nuclear Generation Station (PNGS), October 1986. In all cases a pattern of decreasing tritium levels with increasing distance from the stations was observed. In October, 1989, assessment surveys were conducted around Bruce Nuclear Power Development, the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and the new Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (DNGS). The purpose of these surveys was to provide baseline data for tritium in cell-free water of grass at all three locations at the same time of year. As none of the reactor units at DNGS had been brought on line at the time of the survey, this data was to be considered pre-operational or background data for DNGS. However, the Tritium Removal Facility was under commissioning at the time of the survey