OTTAWA, September 5, 2008 – The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (the CNSC) released today two documents for public comment - the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines and the draft Joint Review Panel (JRP) Agreement - related to the Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) proposed Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant Project, located at the existing Darlington Nuclear site near Oshawa, Ontario. The 75-day comment period ends on November 19, 2008.
The draft Guidelines identify the information needed for OPG to prepare the EIS , a document which will provide a detailed analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed project. The Guidelines also list the requirements for a licence to prepare the site - the first in a series of licences required for such projects under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its associated regulations.
The draft Agreement establishes how the panel will function, along with its terms of reference for conducting the environmental assessment and for considering the licence application to prepare a site.
The draft Guidelines and the draft Agreement, along with more information on the project, are available at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca, registry number 07-05-29525 and at www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca .
Public comment on these draft documents will be considered, if received before November 19, 2008. All comments received will be made public and posted on the registry. Written comments can be submitted in the official language of one's choice to:
Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant Project
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3
Tel.: 1-866-582-1884
Fax: 613-957-0941
E-mail: Darlington.Review@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
To register as an interested party and be kept informed of activities relating to the joint review panel process, please provide a full mailing address, an e-mail address or a fax number, to the above contact information.
The next steps will include a review of all the comments and the finalization of the EIS Guidelines and JRP Agreement. Subsequently, OPG will prepare the EIS , based on the final Guidelines, and a JRP will be established.
The project represents a proposal by OPG for the site preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of up to four new nuclear reactors at its Darlington nuclear site located near Oshawa, Ontario, along the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the Municipality of Durham. The project is expected to generate approximately 4,800 megawatts of electricity to the Ontario grid.
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.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment; and to respect Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
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The Government of Canada today released two documents related to the environmental assessment related to Ontario Power Generation's proposed Darlington New Nuclear Power Plant Project, located at the existing Darlington Nuclear site near Oshawa, Ontario. Comments on the documents must be received prior to November 19, 2008. For more information, please visit www.ceaa.gc.ca.
For more information, media may contact:
Nicholas Girard
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0958
Aurèle Gervais
Media and Community Relations
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Tel.: 613-996-6860
