The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is one of the world's largest nuclear generating facilities consisting of the Pickering A and the Pickering B.  Each station has four CANDU (CANadian Deuterium Uranium) reactor units and together they have a total possible output of 4,120 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to serve a city of two million people.

On the 1997 election ballot Pickering residents voted 87% for an environmental assessment on the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.  Many residents told me that they wish to ensure that the facility is safe and being operated with the protection of residents and employees as the utmost priority.  In July 1999, I was pleased to move a resolution calling for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to prepare an environmental assessment, provide public consultation, accept OPG's offer for independent consultants to represent the City's interest and to have the 160 issues earlier identified by a Community Working Group addressed.

In 1999 the Atomic Energy Control Board (now known as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission or CNSC) directed that an environmental assessment be completed for the return to service of the four reactors comprising Pickering-A which had been "layed up" since the fall of 1997.

In 2000 I was pleased to have a tour of the on-going work to improve the Pickering A side of the generation station.  My visit was highlighted in the June 2002 edition of OPG's "Neighbours" publication.

A final CNSC decision on the Environmental Assessment allowed the restart of Pickering 'A' subject to stringent safety conditions.  The first unit (Unit 4) in now back in service and producing electricity. Unit 1 is currently being refurbished and is expected to be operational by year end.

OPG announced that they do not intend to restart Units 2 and 3.

In 2001 I had a tour of the on-site dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.  Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has advised that it is proposing to add a second phase to its existing Pickering Waste Management Facility on the Pickering Nuclear site.  Additional capacity for storage of used fuel is needed to support the continued operation of the station.  This second phase will use the dry storage process, a proven, safe and regulated technology that has been in use at Pickering Nuclear since 1996.

In 2004, CNSC approved an environmental assessment and issued a license amendment for the second phase.  Construction is anticipated to commence in 2006.

OPG provides a number of informational brochures and a web site at www.opg.com/ops/N_pickering.asp.

For more information on Pickering B Refurbishment and Continued Operations Environmental Assessment, go to www.opg.com/pickeringb.