All waste from decommissioning activities for the Douglas Point facility is carefully categorized or “characterized” and each type of waste will be managed in an appropriate way according to waste type.
Radioactive waste (i.e. contaminated soil, contaminated demolition debris, used fuel):
Low and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the decommissioning of the Douglas Point facility will be packaged in licensed containers and safely transported to the Chalk River Laboratories site.
Given the stringent safety, security and licensing requirements that govern waste facilities, it makes sense to consolidate all radioactive waste in one facility, at the Chalk River Laboratories site.
As for the used fuel, in Canada, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has the mandate for designing and implementing the plan for the safe, long-term management of spent nuclear fuel. All used fuel from the Douglas Point Waste Facility is destined for the repository that the NWMO is responsible for planning and building.
Non-radioactive waste (i.e. demolition debris from the administration building):
Clean waste, which is waste that is characterized and found to be not radioactive, will be recycled where possible and where not, sent to licensed local landfills.
Clean recyclable waste such as, scrap metal and cardboard, is sent off site to recycling facilities.
Designated substances (i.e. asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, asphalt roofing material, hydrocarbons and other kinds of hazardous waste often found on industrial sites):
Designated substances are sent off site to special facilities that are licensed to receive and handle this type of industrial waste.