Ninth-grade students spent the day getting an inside look at what it’s like to work on a major science and engineering project with a visit to CNL’s Historic Waste Program Management Office on November 14. For the 8th consecutive year, CNL staff provided students with an up-close look at the kind of work they do to support Canada’s largest environmental cleanup, the Port Hope Area Initiative.
After a presentation on youth worker safety and an overview of the Port Hope and Port Granby projects, the students took a behind-the-scenes tour through the Port Hope Project Long-Term Waste Management Facility.
After lunch the students experienced some of the comprehensive technical training undertaken by CNL staff with a radiation safety workshop demonstrating how radiation specialists identify and contain contamination. Students were outfitted with protective clothing and tasked with assembling a small structure, unaware that the pieces were coated with a non-toxic, glow-in-the-dark powder to simulate contamination. Once the task was completed, the instructor used a black light to illuminate the powder on their clothing, demonstrating how easy it is to spread contamination. They finished off the day with a tour of the Port Hope Project Waste Water Treatment Plant.
When asked about her experience, visiting student Elizabeth said, “It was informative, lots of interesting details about what the project will achieve in the upcoming years.”
CNL staff welcomes every opportunity to connect with the community, and through Take Our Kids to Work Day, high school students are able to explore potential careers in the science and technology fields and talk to CNL about their experiences working on Canada’s largest environmental remediation project.
