The Society of United Professionals has been involved in the re-licensing process for both the Pickering and Bruce Nuclear Generating stations.
Working closely with staff at both facilities, we have drafted submissions to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission asserting our support for the applications by OPG and Bruce Power for both license extensions. Based on our analysis and feedback we received from staff interviews we are confident in the ability of both sites to operate safely and in a manner that is environmentally responsible.
The submissions highlight the importance of maintaining full-time staff in order to ensure a workplace culture that values safety. Full-time Society staff play an important role on the various multi-party health and safety committees which oversee the safe operation of the facilities.
In addition, the Society highlighted the strong performance of the stations in the areas of both conventional safety and radiological safety with both stations receiving “satisfactory” or “fully satisfactory” ratings during their license periods. The submission also points to recent emergency planning exercises that included more than 30 government agencies, emergency responders, staff and corporate communications. Staff reports inform us that as a result of the exercise all relevant agencies are better prepared to respond in the unlikely event of an emergency.
No one has more vested interest in the safe and environmentally conscientious operation of both the Pickering and Bruce Nuclear Stations than our members. Society members live, work and raise their families in the communities around these facilities and we are fully satisfied that both stations can operate safely during the period of their next licenses.
