Preparing for the Construction Phase of the Port Hope Area Initiative: Canada’s Largest Low-Level Radioactive Waste Clean-Up Project

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) is a federally-sponsored project to clean-up the historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) arising from the operations of Eldorado Nuclear, a former federal crown corporation, and its private sector predecessors. The waste is mostly in the form of contaminated soil and was generated between 1932 and 1988 when Eldorado was dissolved. This paper provides a summary of the origin of the waste, the initial attempt to address the waste issue, and the current initiative which began in 2001. More specifically, this paper provides an introduction to the project and the work accomplished in Phase 1, specific details regarding the ongoing Transition Phase 1A and a sneak peak at the plan for Phase 2 when the construction and remediation activities will be performed and the wastes safely emplaced in new engineered containment mounds.