Active Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) work has been ongoing in the community of Port Hope since 2018. The residents however have been aware of the Port Hope Project and PHAI for much longer. The cleanup of radiological waste in Port Hope began in the 1970s and culminated in the signing of the Legal Agreement that made the PHAI a reality in 2001.
Now years later, the project is well underway and continues into 2023. There are currently three active project sites at the Port Hope waterfront with the Port Hope Harbour being the largest and most complex. While work on the Waterworks West site in the area known as the West Beach is expected to last another two years, cleanup work under the Viaducts is wrapping up, with restoration planned for spring of 2023.
Additionally work has started at the Highland Drive Landfill which includes the cleanup of low-level radioactive waste that has been mixed with and stored among municipal solid waste. This is expected to be complete in late 2024. The cleanup at municipal industrial sites also moves forward with work underway at both the Chemetron Lagoon and Lions Recreation Centre Park.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is currently cleaning up these larger sites and residential properties at the same time. Each site has a dedicated project team and contractor working to ensure the Port Hope Project remains on schedule and is completed as efficiently as possible.
Property owners of residential properties being cleaned up in 2023 are in communication with CNL staff about planned work. Residential work will continue throughout the year and into 2032. Note that CNL has committed to providing notification of upcoming planned work by December of the previous year.
While every effort is made to keep these projects on schedule, every site is unique and as a result timing may be affected by the discoveries made during work. The cleanup and restoration of private properties is complex work, as the conditions of structures and other property features vary from property to property. Timelines may be extended due to additional work than previously agreed to, and/or to ensure worker safety and work standards. Additionally, agreements between property owners and CNL may require multiple discussions that can extend timelines at any point during the process.
If you would like more information about the PHAI plans for 2023, please join CNL for a public information session, hosted by the Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce, on Thursday, March 30, 2023. The event will take place at the Lions Centre, 29 Thomas St. Port Hope, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Register to attend the session by contacting the Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce directly on their website at porthopechamber.com or calling 905.885.5519.
