Natural Resources Canada
2002/23
March 12, 2002

OTTAWA — Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) invites public comment on the draft scope document for the environmental assessment of the Port Granby Project. The public comment period has been extended by 15 days and ends on April 11, 2002. Natural Resources Canada will also host an Open House to promote understanding of the draft scope document for the Port Granby Project on March 19, 2002.

The Government of Canada, through its designated proponent the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office (LLRWMO), proposes to remediate and build a long-term low-level radioactive waste management facility at the present site of the Port Granby Waste Management Facility in the Municipality of Clarington. The project is based on a conceptual approach proposed by the municipality and accepted by the Government of Canada as a potential long- term management solution for wastes at the Port Granby Facility in a legal agreement signed in March 2001

"The people of Clarington have shown their collective desire for engagement on the issue of low level radioactive waste," said Alex Shepherd, Member of Parliament for Durham. "I believe this extension of the period of public comment will ensure that our communities will have a chance to put forth their comments in matters that concern them directly."

The draft scope document lays out the terms of reference for the environmental assessment of the project. The environmental assessment will be conducted according to the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA).

The responsible authorities for the environmental assessment — NRCan, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans — will review all comments before finalizing the scope document. All comments received are considered public and will be placed on the public registry for the Port Granby Project.

The Open House on the draft scope document will take place at the following time and location:

Tuesday, March 19, 2002, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Newtonville Community Hall
21 Church Street
Newtonville, Ontario

Written comments on the draft scope document for the Port Granby Project should be submitted by April 11, 2002 to the following address:

Sharon Baillie-Malo
Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 17th Floor
Ottawa ON
K1A 0E4
Tel.: (613) 947-4750
Fax: (613) 947-4205
E-mail: phai.irph@nrcan.gc.ca

Copies of the draft scope document and information on the Port Granby Project are available on NRCan's Web site at http://nuclear.nrcan.gc.ca and at the following locations:

LLRWMO Project Information Exchange
196 Toronto Road
Port Hope ON L1A 3V5
Tel.: (905) 885-0291
Toll-free: 1 866 255-2755
E-mail: info@llrwmo.org

Bowmanville Public Library
62 Temperance Street
Bowmanville ON L1C 3C8

Clarington Public Library, Clarke Branch
127 Church Street
Orono ON L0B 1M0

Clarington Public Library, Courtice Branch
2950 Courtice Road
Courtice ON L1E 2H8

Clarington Public Library, Newcastle Village Branch
50 Mill Street North
Newcastle Village ON L1B 1L4

Port Hope Public Library
31 Queen Street
Port Hope ON L1A 2Y8


For more information, media may contact:

Dr. Peter Brown
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division
Natural Resources Canada
(613) 996-2395

Dave McCauley
Advisor, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division
Natural Resources Canada
(613) 996-4697

NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available on the Internet at http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/