During routine work at the Port Hope Long-Term Waste Management Facility on July 15, a small amount of smoke was observed to be coming from an area of low-level radioactive waste in one of the storage cells. As a precaution, a water truck was used to douse the site, after which the smoke was no longer visible. A follow-up thermal scan was performed by drone of the entire area, which did not identify any signs of heat. This result indicated there was no additional risk of a fire.
Work was paused to facilitate the assessment, and reports were made to the Port Hope Fire Department.
CNL notified the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), as well as the Municipality of Port Hope.
Work has resumed and there is no risk to the safety of workers or the public from this event.