DGR Key Features

OPG's Deep Geologic Repository Project for Low & Intermediate Level Waste

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is assisting Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in seeking regulatory approval for site preparation and construction of a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for the long-term management of low and intermediate level waste (L&ILW) from OPG-owned or operated reactors. Only low and intermediate level waste from the Pickering, Darlington and Bruce nuclear generating stations will be accepted for storage in the DGR. Used fuel will not be stored in the DGR.

The proposed DGR would manage about 200,000 cubic metres of low and intermediate level waste in underground emplacement rooms.

Committed to Safety

The proposed DGR will be located about 680 metres (2,230 feet) underneath the Bruce site. It will be constructed in low permeability limestone capped by 200 metres of low permeability shale. These rock formations, in excess of 450 million years old, are intact and do not have any major faults or fractures even though they have been subjected to many geologic events. They are stable and predictable and have excellent isolating capabilities. This type of setting is ideal for hosting a repository and ensuring long-term safety.

Verifying the Site

A detailed four-year Geoscientific Site Characterization Program (GSCP) began in 2006 to verify the suitability of the DGR site. This scientific investigation along with the information gained from environmental field studies, safety assessment and engineering design supports obtaining the necessary construction and operating licences from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Formal environmental assessment and licensing processes began in 2005 and are expected to take six to eight years, with a public hearing to take place late 2012 or early 2013. Throughout this time period, there have been and will continue to be many opportunities for Kincardine and surrounding communities to learn about and to express their views on the proposed DGR.

DGR Key Features