The successful start of waste storage was celebrated again when the first truckload of historic waste temporarily stored on the Centre Pier was transported through the community and placed into storage in 2018. During their tenure managing the Port Hope Long-Term Waste Management Facility (LTWMF), Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and ECCQM marked a number of milestones including the construction of all four waste cells of the engineered mound which make up the LTWMF footprint and is now being fully used.
Over 35,000 truckloads (573,000 tonnes) of historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) have been safely received from sites around Port Hope and placed into long-term storage. In addition 879,000 tonnes of waste was moved to storage from the Welcome Waste Management Facility, totalling 1,452,797 tonnes of waste being safely moved and stored at the LTWMF.
Additionally, ECCQM worked with CNL to expand the main collection pond at the Port Hope Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) increasing the capacity from 20,000 to 50,000 cubic metres. This is critical to manage increased water from spring thaw or rain activity.
Mirroring the CNL commitment to safety as a core value, ECCQM staff provided 550,000 hours of work without critical incident. In March 2023, CNL transferred the management of the PH LTWMF to
WSP Global Inc. Like CNL, WSP has an established track record delivering successful projects of all sizes and is leading the way in sustainable remediation and engineering. Waste movement continues in Port Hope and is expected to continue until 2032.
The Port Hope Long-Term Waste Management Facility includes the engineered aboveground mound that isolates historic low-level radioactive waste by securely encasing it on the top, bottom and sides with thick, multiple layers of natural and specially manufactured materials.
Additional information about the LTWMF is available here on the PHAI website.
