The following information bulletin is in accordance with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ (CNL) ongoing commitment to voluntary public disclosure of events related to the Chalk River Laboratories site.
Chalk River, ON – June 6, 2024 – As an update to the Community Bulletin issued on May 10, 2024, CNL can confirm that effluent from the Sanitary Sewage Treatment Plant (SSTF) at Chalk River Laboratories has now passed three consecutive effluent tests, results which indicate that the facility is now back to full compliance with all environmental regulations. In line with regulatory requirements, these three bi-weekly effluent samples were collected by CNL on April 17, May 1 and May 15, and also confirm that the facility has been operating normally for several weeks. At no point did the effluent pose a threat to the environment or the public.
CNL has communicated this information to the necessary regulators, including officials at Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
Work to identify the root cause of the disruption remains underway, and CNL is actively implementing an action plan to ensure that there is not a repeat occurrence. These activities will include increased oversight of the facility’s operations, improved practices related to the use of sanitary drain systems at the Chalk River campus, and improvements to the related infrastructure.
The non-compliance was not related to radiological contaminants, and CNL can confirm that the effluent from the Sanitary Sewage Treatment Facility did not pose a threat to the environment or the public.
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Contact:
Philip Kompass
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325
media@cnl.ca