Chalk River

Latest updates

2013

May 16, 2013: AECL provides update on NRU Planned Outage Activities - NRU reactor returned to operation as planned (Source: AECL)
May 15, 2013: AECL files dose records late to the National Dose Registry.
AECL reported to the CNSC that they had discovered that 7,000 dose records for the first quarter of 2013 had been filed 13 days late with Health Canada’s National Dose Registry (NDR). AECL's licence requires that these records be filed with the NDR no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter. To prevent recurrence of this problem, AECL will train more staff to carry out the filing of dose records with the NDR and upgrade its computer systems.
April 8, 2013: AECL dose records not submitted to National Dose Registry
AECL discovered that 1,650 dose records had not been submitted to the National Dose Registry (NDR) between 2009 and 2012. Doses were estimated and manually entered into AECL’s corporate dosimetry system. However, these doses were not submitted to the NDR. There is no health impact and none of the doses exceed any regulatory dose limit or any action level. AECL is investigating and is required to report to the CNSC by May 8, 2013. The report will include details of the causes and consequences of the event and any remedial actions taken or intended. AECL will appear before the Commission on May 15, 2013.
March 20, 2013: Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources issues statement regarding AECL’s announcement on increased liabilities (source: NRCan)
March 20, 2013: AECL comprehensive review of its nuclear decommissioning and waste liability (source: AECL)
March 12, 2013: AECL provides update on NRU Planned Outage Activities - April 14, 2013 and ending May 14, 2013 (Source: AECL)
February 28, 2013: Harper Government Announces New Direction for Nuclear Laboratories (Source: NRCan)

2012

July 11, 2012: Notice - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - Approval request for the Chalk River Laboratories within the municipality of Chalk River, Ontario (PDF)
July 9, 2012: On July 6, the new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 came into effect, changing the requirements for low-risk environmental assessments (EAs). As a result, the EA underway on this project is no longer required under the former CEA Act. However, potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the project will continue to be considered under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act as part of the CNSC’s licensing review to ensure there is no unreasonable risk to the environment or human health and safety.
- View the list of affected Environmental Assessments in Chalk River

April 18, 2012: Loss of a colleague for Chalk River Laboratories employees (source: AECL)
April 13, 2012: AECL provides update on NRU Planned Outage Activities (source: AECL)
February 9, 2012: Government of Canada Seeking Interest in AECL Laboratories (source: NRCan)

2011

December 22, 2011: Response from CNSC to AECL. This letter is part of follow-up letters between the CNSC and AECL concerning the action request pursuant to Subsection 12(2). In this letter, CNSC confirms that AECL has met CNSC request to all major nuclear facilities in Canada pursuant to Section 12(2) of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations, with regard to National Research Universal (NRU) reactor. For other facilities at CRL, the CNSC 12(2) request will be closed upon receipt of more detailed information from AECL.
October 27, 2011: CNSC Announces Decision to Renew the Operating Licence for the AECL Chalk River Laboratories for a 5 year period
October 6, 2011: AECL clarifies statements made in the Ottawa Citizen today regarding the Chalk River Laboratories (source: AECL Web site)
August 17 to August 25 2011: AECL Updates on Planned Short Duration Outages (source: AECL Web site)
July 19 to July 28 2011: AECL Updates on Planned Short Duration Outages (source: AECL Web site)

June 2, 2011:
- AECL NRU Status Report of a planned outage (source: AECL Web site)
- Other updates for the May outage (source: AECL Web site)
May 12, 2011: Chalk River Information Bulletin - AECL provides update on NRU Planned Outage Activities (Source: AECL Web site)
April 26, 2011: Decommissioning of a plutonium tower facility at Chalk River Laboratories: Request for Public Comment – Draft Environmental Assessment Screening Report (PDF)
April 19, 2011: Update to regulatory action issued to all Class I facilities and uranium mines and mills in Canada
April 12, 2011: Update to regulatory action issued to all major nuclear facilities in Canada
April 5, 2011:
- Notice - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - Application for the renewal of the operating licence for the Chalk River Laboratories (PDF)
- Notice - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - Application to amend the operating licences for the Chalk River Laboratories and the Dedicated Isotope Facilities (administrative changes) (PDF)
March 22, 2011: CNSC request to all Class I nuclear facilities and uranium mines and mills in Canada pursuant to subsection 12(2) of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations
March 19, 2011: Seismic activity near Chalk River Laboratories
March 17, 2011: CNSC Request to all major nuclear facilities in Canada pursuant to Subsection 12(2) of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations
March 16, 2011: Temporary Elevation of Effluent Tritium Levels at Chalk River Labs - On March 14, 2011 Atomic Energy of Canada Limited notified the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) that slightly elevated levels of tritium in samples of process water effluent had been discovered. The tritium was from a leak in a heat exchanger and was not related to the reactor cooling system. The heat exchanger was isolated and tritium levels were back to normal within 12 hours.
No dose consequence has been attributed to this event, and the radiological risk to the environment, workers and public health is negligible. The CNSC continues to monitor the situation.

2010

November 29, 2010: The CNSC invites you to provide comments on the draft environmental assessment Screening Report concerning the National Research Universal Reactor Long-term Management Project

Find out more

Letters: Read letters to the CNSC about nuclear facilities in Chalk River and CNSC responses.
Commission Tribunal information: Read recent Commission Tribunal transcripts and Records of Decision from Hearings and Meetings related to facilities in the Chalk River area.
National Research Universal reactor events- 2007 to 2010: Read about the shutdown and the restart of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario.

About Chalk River

With a population of 800 people, Chalk River is one of the five small communities in the Upper Ottawa Valley that together form the Municipality of Laurentian Hills.

Farmers and lumbermen first settled in the area in the mid 1800s, to be joined later by travellers on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Agriculture, forestry and the railroad continued to be the principal industries in the Chalk River area until the 1940s. Today, the nuclear industry is the area's largest employer.

At a glance: Chalk River Laboratories and the National Research Universal reactor

Location: Chalk River, Ontario

Owned and operated by: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

Purpose of facility: research related to CANDU reactors and the nuclear industry

Year commissioned: operations began in 1944; the National Research Universal reactor came online in 1957, focusing on the production of medical isotopes and neutron research

Other information about Chalk River

Find out about Environmental Assessments in Chalk River.