Updated Public Notice: Public Comment Period Extension

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Micro Modular Reactor Project at Chalk River – Comments Invited on Global First Power's Project Description

Update – August 9, 2019: Given the high level of public interest and numerous requests, the deadline to submit written comments on the project description has been extended to September 14, 2019. Individuals and groups that have already submitted comments do not need to resubmit their comments.

Please note that the primary purpose of the project description is to determine whether an environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 is required. Further details on the project will be provided at a later time in the environmental impact statement.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is seeking comments from the public and Indigenous groups on the project description prepared by Global First Power for its proposed Micro Modular Reactor Project at Chalk River. The proposed project involves the site preparation, construction, operation and decommissioning of a single small modular reactor, using Micro Modular Reactor technology. The proposed project is located at the Chalk River Laboratories site, in Renfrew County, Ontario, approximately 200 km northwest of Ottawa.

The CNSC has reviewed the project description and determined that it was written in accordance with the Prescribed Information for the Description of a Designated Project Regulations (CEAA 2012). Detailed information about the project will be available in the environmental impact statement, which will be submitted by Global First Power at a later stage of the environmental assessment (EA) process (refer to "Next steps" below).

Comments on the project description should be based on local, regional or traditional knowledge of the site or surrounding environment, or should provide any other relevant information that may help with the conduct of the EA. All comments received will be considered public.

Written comments must be submitted by September 14, 2019 to:

Aimee Rupert, Environmental Assessment Officer
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
P.O. Box 1046, Station B
280 Slater Street
Ottawa ON  K1P 5S9
Telephone: 613-943-9919 or 1-800-668-5284
Fax: 613-995-5086
Email: cnsc.ea-ee.ccsn@canada.ca

Next steps

Following receipt of comments on the project description, CNSC staff will consider all submissions received and make recommendations to inform the Commission's decision on the scope of the factors to be considered in the EA. In addition, CNSC staff will respond to all comments received from Indigenous groups and members of the public. The comments and responses will be populated in a table and publicly posted to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry. Efforts will be made to collate common issues together.

Following the Commission's decision on the scope of the EA, the proponent, Global First Power, will then be required to provide to the CNSC an environmental impact statement (EIS) for review. An EIS is a report written by a proponent that presents the technical studies and findings of an EA. The CNSC's Generic Guidelines for the Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (PDF, 733 KB) provide general instructions on the preparation and information requirements that must be included in the EIS in order to comply with CEAA 2012 requirements.

Participation opportunities

We would also like to seek your views on the EA participation opportunities for this project.

As part of the EA process, Indigenous groups and members of the public will have the opportunity, through formal comment periods, to review and comment on the following documents:

• the project description

• the draft environmental impact statement

Indigenous groups and members of the public will also be given the opportunity to submit comments to the Commission for an eventual EA/licensing hearing as a Commission member document (written intervention and/or oral presentation).

In addition, throughout the EA process, CNSC staff will engage with members of the public through more informal engagement opportunities such as open houses, town halls, workshops, webinars, and status updates to our project distribution list. As part of standard practice, CNSC staff will focus its efforts in key communities within the regional project area that would provide the greatest opportunity for access by a large number of participants and, where possible, capitalize on existing events/festivals in the communities to further extend our reach.

We would like to hear your views and suggestions on in-person engagement opportunities that would be meaningful for you. The feedback received will inform the planning of future activities.

Anyone interested in receiving regular project updates is invited to sign up for the project update email list by sending a request to cnsc.ea-ee.ccsn@canada.ca.