Additional Frequently Asked Questions
Licensing Process for New Nuclear Power Plants in Canada
Following the February 24, 2006 information session on the Licensing Process
for New Nuclear Power Plants in Canada information document, the CNSC
prepared a series of Frequently Asked Questions reflecting the broad themes that
emerged during the information session.
Waste disposal
- How will you deal with long-term financial responsibility for nuclear
waste given that nuclear waste has a long shelf life?
Refurbish or build new?
- What is the regulatory licensing process if a new nuclear power plant
is added to an existing nuclear site?
- What is the process for refurbishing an existing nuclear power plant?
- When will the CNSC be ready to assess a new nuclear power plant
proposal?
Environmental Assessment
- If the CNSC is technology-neutral, how will the regulator ensure that all
environmental impacts are adequately assessed in the environmental assessment
(EA) process?
Waste disposal
1. How will you deal with long-term financial responsibility for nuclear
waste given that nuclear waste has a long shelf life?
Canadians are protected through constant oversight of the financial costs of
decommissioning and waste disposal by two pieces of legislation.
The Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (NFWA) requires electricity generating companies
which produce used nuclear fuel to establish segregated trust funds to finance
the long-term management of the used fuel. The amount that is put aside is based
on a conservative estimate of the projected cost of waste disposal using the
most expensive option considered, deep geological storage.
The Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) requires that before a proponent of
a nuclear power plant is given a licence to construct and operate a facility,
they must provide a financial guarantee for the eventual decommissioning of the
facility. All the nuclear power generating facilities in Canada now have secure
decommissioning funds established for decommissioning.
Further, the NSCA requires that each time a facility applies for renewal of
their licence (generally every five years), the initial estimate of long-term
operation life is reassessed, and the funding requirement is updated based on
the projected life of the facility.
Refurbish or build new?
2. What is the regulatory licensing process if a new nuclear power plant is
added to an existing nuclear site?
Decisions to expand an existing facility would be subject to the provisions
of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and to the NSCA.
International standards and guidelines would be applied as appropriate. The same
extensive process as is required for any new nuclear power plant would apply.
3. What is the process for refurbishing an existing nuclear power plant?
Refurbishments or life extensions are subject to a rigorous assessment
process under CNSC procedures. The approach requires the licensee to conduct an
environmental assessment to identify environmental effects and propose
mitigating measures to counter any identified effects. Licensees are also
required to carry out an integrated safety review in accordance with the
guidelines issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result
of these reviews, the licensee will propose a plan for the refurbishment work
that needs to be conducted to ensure safe and secure operations of the plant for
the proposed period in future.
These assessments are considered by CNSC staff who then make recommendations
to the Commission on whether or not to grant an operating licence for the
refurbishment.
4. When will the CNSC be ready to assess a new nuclear power plant proposal?
Once an application is received by the CNSC, the complete suite of regulatory
documents will become available within three to five years. During this time, it
is expected that the EA process, which can take about 36 months, will be
underway.
The new regulatory documents will be using existing IAEA regulations and
standards and adapting them to Canadian experience. As these standards and
regulations are developed, we will be using open and transparent processes to
provide for public and stakeholders with adequate opportunity to be consulted.
Environmental Assessment
5. If the CNSC is technology-neutral, how will the regulator ensure that all
environmental impacts are adequately assessed in the environmental assessment
(EA) process?
Before a licence to site, build, operate, decommission or abandon a new
nuclear power plant can be issued, an environmental assessment must be conducted
and it must have a positive outcome to allow the plant to move forward.
The EA requires high level information about design. Many parts of the
environmental assessment, such as site evaluation, location of people,
environmental components, will be the same regardless of the technologies that a
proponent may propose.
Parts of the environmental assessment will be specific to a site that is
proposed and we could look at having an assessment of options or alternatives in
terms of plant design. Ultimately, there has to be enough information in the
assessment of options and alternatives so that we can say that the completed
assessment covers what will be eventually licensed.
The EA is a planning tool used to identify potential impacts and mitigating
requirements. During licensing, CNSC staff and Commission members ensure that EA
recommendations are met.
|
