OTTAWA, March 20, 2008 – The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, today announced the referral of the proposed Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant project near Oshawa, Ontario to an environmental assessment by a review panel.
"I am confident that an independent review panel is the most appropriate type of environmental assessment for this project," stated Minister Baird. "I believe that this process will help Canadians to understand the potential impacts of this project and will provide the best opportunities for public involvement".
The Minister's decision is based on a recommendation made by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
The project is a proposal by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to construct and operate up to four new reactors with a total capacity of 4800 MW on its Darlington nuclear site located near Oshawa, Ontario along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Several reactor technologies are being considered for the purposes of the environmental assessment. Construction and operation of appropriate waste management facilities are also being examined.
Participant funding will be made available to the public to promote active participation in the environmental assessment process. Funding availability will be announced by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency at a later date.
For more information on this project, consult the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry under reference number 07-05-29525.
To obtain information on the panel review process, or to register as an interested party and be kept informed of the panel's activities, provide a full mailing, an e-mail address or a fax number to the following:
Proposed Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant Project
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 1-866-582-1884
darlington.review@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
- 30 -
Media may contact:
Nicholas Girard
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0958
nicholas.girard@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
