An American-owned consortium, Nuclear Laboratory Partners of Canada Inc., has officially taken charge of managing Canada’s premier nuclear research facility, the Chalk River Laboratories. This development follows a three-month delay, marking a significant milestone in the country’s nuclear research landscape. This consortium is now tasked with not only managing the research facility but also cleaning up the federal government’s considerable accumulation of radioactive waste spread across the country.
Chalk River Laboratories: A Storied History
Established in the 1940s, Chalk River Laboratories holds the mantle as Canada’s largest science and technology research compound. This facility played a pivotal role in the birth of Canada’s Candu power reactor and conducted a significant portion of the nation’s work on medical isotopes. Additionally, it is the storage site for much of the federal government’s extensive collection of radioactive waste.
Contract Worth and Duration
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) disclosed earlier this year that the consortium’s contract is valued at approximately $1.2 billion annually. This contract is currently considered the federal government’s largest, although key federal authorities have been unable or unwilling to confirm this. The contract is set for a term of six years but can be extended for an additional 14 years.
Controversy Over American Ownership
The consortium’s American ownership has sparked controversy. Critics, including Corey Tochor, a Conservative member of Parliament for Saskatoon-University, have accused AECL of “selling out our nuclear secrets” to American interests. Other concerns have been raised about a foreign country managing Canada’s medical isotopes.
AECL’s Stance on American Ownership
Despite these concerns, AECL president and chief executive Fred Dermarkar stated that he had no concerns about the U.S. ownership. He noted that the government-owned, contractor-operated model was introduced in 2015 to tap into American expertise, especially given their extensive experience in nuclear waste management and lab operations.
Consortium Composition and Responsibilities
The American-owned consortium is led by BWX Technologies Inc., a large nuclear specialty manufacturer. The consortium also includes BWXT’s recently acquired Canadian subsidiary Kinectrics Inc., along with Virginia-based Amentum Environment & Energy Inc. Another organization, Battelle Memorial Institute, based in Ohio, has been described as a “key subcontractor.”
The consortium’s responsibilities include modernizing Chalk River’s facilities and decontaminating and demolishing old buildings. It must also manage AECL’s collection of long-retired research and demonstration nuclear reactors and radioactive waste stored temporarily across the country, including the decommissioning of defunct facilities such as Whiteshell Laboratories in Manitoba.
Future Plans and Handover
With CNL having shut down its only research reactor in 2018, a significant gap has been left in Chalk River’s research capabilities. Both CNL and AECL are considering options to acquire a new one. The U.S.-led consortium takes over from another partnership known as Canadian National Energy Alliance, which held the contract for a decade.
Government officials have stated that the procurement of the contract was conducted by AECL, independently of Ottawa, and that the consortium’s leadership will be based in Canada. The contract was awarded following a competitive procurement process and after the Competition Bureau issued a “no-action letter” confirming it will not oppose the contract.
