The new name of the nuclear waste disposal from OPG underlines sustainability

BROCKTON – Fred Kuntz, senior manager of corporate relations for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), has given a number of presentations to community councils; On Tuesday, November 23rd, he turned to the Brockton Council.

The highlight of the presentation was the new name for OPG Nuclear Waste Management, which better reflects its role and mission: Nuclear Sustainability Services.

Kuntz found that all energy sources have by-products. Many nuclear by-products are extremely valuable – medicinal isotopes, tritium, helium-3. This is not waste. With medical isotopes, they save many lives.

The new name reflects the division’s “mission to reduce our ecological footprint,” said Kuntz. OPG encompasses the three Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle – he said through a multi-year plan to increase processing, reduce inventory levels and maximize recycling.

In order to reduce the storage volume of low and medium value items, OPG plans to expand its sorting program for the purpose of recycling and reusing as much material as possible. A new sorting and recycling facility is planned at the Bruce Clean Energy Center in Kincardine.

“We need more floor space and more staff,” said Kuntz.

The 42,000 square meter facility will employ 25 people.

The facility would apply insights from research at Hamilton’s Clean Energy Materials Sorting and Recycling Laboratory, a partnership between McMaster University and an OPG subsidiary.

Further highlights were included in an update on the operation of the western site. Safety continues to have priority – 10 years without accidents with downtime.

Not only did operations continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, but all performance targets were met.

In 2021, OPG received gold certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council for biodiversity programs in the Western Waste Management Facility – for example, the search for invasive plant phragmites with drones so that they can be eradicated.

Gold is the highest level of certification. The Western Waste Management Facility won the Council’s Gold Program of the Year Award for best of all 2021 submissions worldwide.

OPG continues its commitment to the safe and permanent disposal of nuclear by-products, said Kuntz. OPG supports the efforts of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to establish a deep geological repository for all of Canada.

Kuntz said OPG “wants to be the world leader” in more than just recycling and reusing stored materials. There is also a program for development – and world leadership – in next-level nuclear reactors. Small modular reactors have huge potential around the world, he said, including in northern Canada, where electricity is difficult and expensive to provide.

The subject led to a number of questions from Coun. Steve Adams, also on the size and performance of such reactors.

Kuntz explained that a normal reactor like the one used by Bruce Power produces 800 megawatts. A modular microreactor like the one planned for Chalk River would produce 15 megawatts. Most small modular reactors have an output that varies between 50 and 150 megawatts.

He said, “Seventy-five percent of the world’s energy is generated from coal, gas, and oil – carbon-based fuels … nuclear power will be very important.”

Kuntz noted that various technologies and fuels are being explored for the modular reactors. It is a question which will prove to be the most useful.

Count. Bruce Power employee James Lang commended OPG for its accomplishments.

Deputy Mayor Dan Gieruszak said he thought the name change was “a stroke of genius” when it comes to the emphasis on sustainability.

“This is a positive step,” he said, adding that he is looking forward to OPG’s new direction.

Comments are closed.