Independent Environmental Monitoring Program: BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. - Toronto
BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. (BWXT), formerly GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada, is licensed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to operate a nuclear fuel fabrication facility, located in Toronto, Ontario. BWXT manufactures nuclear fuel bundles for Canada's nuclear power plants from uranium dioxide (UO2) powder. The BWXT Toronto facility produces UO2 pellets from uranium powder. BWXT has a comprehensive environmental protection program to monitor and control radioactive and hazardous substances released from the site, to determine concentrations in the environment, and to assess exposure to the public.
Independent Environmental Monitoring Program (IEMP) results from 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 along with conclusions of available health studies for uranium processing facilities, confirm that the public and the environment in the vicinity of the BWXT Toronto facility are protected and that there are no expected health impacts.
- Interactive map and IEMP results
- Data table BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. - Toronto CSV (7 kb)
- Overview of the sampling campaign
- Results: (2014) (2016) (2018) (2019)
Legend
[ ] Guideline/Reference Level
BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. - Toronto
Sample Type | Sample Description | Parameter | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | Guideline/ Reference Level |
Expected Health Impact (Yes/No) | Sample Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Air | Ambient | Uranium | 0.000128 µg/m3 | N/A | <0.003 µg/m3 | <0.00005 µg/m3 | 0.03 µg/m3 | No | GT01-A01 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 1.50 mg/kg dry weight | N/A | 1.17 mg/kg dry weight | 0.98 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT01-S01 |
Soil | 0-3 cm | Uranium | 1.68 mg/kg dry weight | N/A | N/A | N/A | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT02-S02 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | N/A | 1.3 mg/kg dry weight | 1.47 mg/kg dry weight | 1.02 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT02-S02 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 1.05 mg/kg dry weight | 1.6 mg/kg dry weight | 1.57 mg/kg dry weight | 1.54 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT03-S03 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 0.72 mg/kg dry weight | 1.5 mg/kg dry weight | 1.37 mg/kg dry weight | 1.20 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT04-S04 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 1.72 mg/kg dry weight | 1.7 mg/kg dry weight | 1.63 mg/kg dry weight | 1.62 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT06-S06 |
Air | Ambient | Uranium | 0.0000488 µg/m3 | <0.0009 µg/m3 | <0.003 µg/m3 | N/A | 0.03 µg/m3 | No | GT07-A02 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 0.87 mg/kg dry weight | 1.5 mg/kg dry weight | 1.55 mg/kg dry weight | 1.24 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT07-S07 |
Air | Ambient | Uranium | N/A | N/A | <0.003 µg/m3 | <0.00005 µg/m3 | 0.03 µg/m3 | No | GT08-A08 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | 1.13 mg/kg dry weight | 1.8 mg/kg dry weight | 1.91 mg/kg dry weight | 1.49 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT08-S08 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | N/A | 1.3 mg/kg dry weight | 1.81 mg/kg dry weight | 1.34 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT09-S09 |
Soil | 0-7 cm | Uranium | 0.93 mg/kg dry weight | N/A | N/A | N/A | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT09-S09 |
Air | Ambient | Uranium | N/A | <0.0009 µg/m3 | <0.003 µg/m3 | <0.00005 µg/m3 | 0.03 µg/m3 | No | GT10-A03 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | N/A | 1.7 mg/kg dry weight | 1.78 mg/kg dry weight | 1.88 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT10-S10 |
Soil | 0-5 cm | Uranium | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.89 mg/kg dry weight | 23 mg/kg dry weight | No | GT12-S12 |
1 The < symbol indicates that a result is below the provided laboratory analytical detection limit.
2 N/A – not available

CNSC staff collecting air and soil samples near BWXT Toronto in 2019
Background
Under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), licensees of nuclear facilities are required to implement environmental monitoring programs to demonstrate that the public and the environment are protected from emissions related to the facilities’ nuclear activities. The results of these monitoring programs are submitted to the CNSC to ensure compliance within applicable guidelines and limits, as set out in regulations that oversee Canada’s nuclear industry.
The CNSC has implemented its IEMP to verify that the public and the environment around licensed nuclear facilities are protected. It is separate from, but complementary to, the CNSC’s ongoing compliance verification program. The IEMP involves taking samples from public areas around the facilities, and measuring and analyzing the amount of radiological (nuclear) and hazardous substances in those samples. CNSC staff collect the samples and send them to the CNSC’s independent laboratory for testing and analysis. The area outside of the BWXT Toronto site perimeter was sampled in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 results
IEMP sampling at BWXT Toronto site for 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 focused on uranium. Uranium is both a radioactive substance (it decays at a slow rate by emitting gamma radiation) and a hazardous substance (since exposure to uranium leads to chemical toxicity). A site-specific sampling plan was developed based on BWXT’s environmental monitoring program and the CNSC’s regulatory experience with the site. In July 2014, July 2016, June 2018, and June 2019 samples were collected in areas outside the BWXT Toronto site perimeter fence and included samples of air and soil. The concentrations of uranium in the samples were below available guidelines. No health or environmental impacts are expected at these levels.
Focus on health
The CNSC also conducts studies to assess the health of the public near nuclear facilities. Several studies have been carried out in Port Hope, Ontario, where uranium has been processed to manufacture nuclear fuel for decades. These studies have consistently demonstrated that people who live near uranium processing facilities, such as BWXT, are as healthy as the rest of the Canadian general population. Access the CNSC’s library of health studies and third-party research.
Conclusions
IEMP results from 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 indicate that the public and the environment around the BWXT site are protected and there are no expected health impacts. These results are consistent with the results submitted by BWXT and the conclusions of available health studies for uranium processing facilities – demonstrating that the licensee's environmental protection program protects the health and safety of people and the environment.
To obtain the full technical IEMP report, contact us at cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca or call 613-995-5894 or 1-800-668-5284 (in Canada). Please provide the name of the facility and the report year.
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