OPG takes another step toward site preparation at Darlington

OPG Darlington Nuclear Project advances with federal environmental assessment acceptance after Joint Review Panel hearings. OPG awaits a site preparation license from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, with mitigation and regulatory review.

The Federal Government of Canada has responded to the recommendations of the Joint Review Panel of the Ontario Power Generation OPG, the province's power generator, and approved the Darlington New Nuclear Project Environmental Assessment EA.

This project is aimed at adding additional nuclear generation to OPG's Darlington power plant, the Darlington Nuclear Station located in Darlington, Ontario.

"OPG is pleased with the Federal Government’s decision," said Albert Sweetnam, OPG’s Executive Vice President, Nuclear Projects, as the company moves to construct a generating unit at Darlington. "We were confident in the conclusions of our extensive studies, however independent review and confirmation provides added assurance that the project will not result in any significant adverse environmental effects, given mitigation."

OPG, drawing on its 2016 financial results to inform planning, now awaits a decision by the Joint Review Panel, as a panel of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the federal regulator for nuclear power in Canada, as part of the federal approvals process on the next key milestone: the issuance of the site preparation license. The site preparation license is the first of three licenses required to build and operate a new nuclear facility in Canada.

In 2009, OPG submitted the Environmental Impact Statement and supporting technical documents in support of the project, along with an updated application for a "license to prepare site." A federally appointed Joint Review Panel undertook an extensive review involving federal, provincial and municipal agencies, independent technical experts, and considering context like the Wesleyville site not in the running, and held 17 days of public hearings before recommending to the Federal Government they accept the EA.

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