CCNR: Thoughts on the first dismantling of the core of a nuc

[Oscar]

CCNR: Thoughts on the first dismantling of the core of a nuclear power reactor (Gentilly-1) in Canada

- September 30, 2026 - (***shared with permission)

Background:

Linked below are two reports produced by CCNR on the proposed dismantling of the radioactive core of a nuclear power reactor. The reactor in question is a 250 megawatt boiling water CANDU reactor called Gentilly-1. It was shut down in 1978 after only 183 days of operation – during a total lifespan of six years.

If approved, this core dismantling will be the first radioactive demolition of its kind in Canada. The earlier report linked below (June 17 2026) deals with the matter in a broad overview, while the latest report (September 28 2026) offers some further thoughts on the subject.

After a nuclear reactor is shut down, after the used fuel has been removed, after the coolant has been drained, we are left with a highly radioactive structure whose components will in many cases remain dangerously radioactive for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Concrete, steel, and other building materials in the core area of the reactor become intrinsically radioactive because prolonged bombardment with neutrons turns many non-radioactive atoms into radioactive ones. These newly created radioactive atoms are called “activation products”. Examples are: tritium (radioactive hydrogen), carbon-14 (radioactive carbon), cobalt-60, nickel-59, and many many more.

See [ ccnr.org/Long-Lived_Activation_Products_Table.pdf ]

In addition to the build-up of radioactive activation products in the core, much of the equipment in the primary cooling circuit (pipes, pumps, boilers, valves) become heavily contaminated with fission products (like cesium-137 and strontium-90), transuranic actinides (like plutonium, americium and curium) and activated corrosion products that circulate in the coolant and are deposited on surfaces. In addition, filters and “ion-exchange resins” become loaded with radioactive crap.

In short, nuclear reactor decommissioning waste constitutes a multi-millennial radioactive legacy in addition to the multimillion-year legacy of used nuclear fuel.

Cheers,

Gordon Edwards.

Gordon Edwards, Ph.D., President,
Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility


First report, June 17, 2026
Cultivating Trust: Inform, Engage, Protect
[ http://www.ccnr.org/G1_CCNR_CNSC_2026.pdf ]


Latest Report, September 18, 2026
Further thoughts on Gentilly-1
Deconstructing the regulation of nuclear waste
[ http://www.ccnr.org/CCNR_Supp_G1_2026.pdf ]

[Oscar]

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ application to amend the licence and licensing basis for the Gentilly-1 Waste Facility


WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS Request for Ruling under Rule 20 - Ref. No. 90092

[ CMD26-H100-RFR_Request-for-Ruling_CCRCA.pdf ]