The facility provides safe, long-term storage for approximately 1.2 million cubic metres of historic low-level radioactive waste being cleaned up in the community as part of the Port Hope Project.
The Port Hope LTWMF includes an engineered aboveground mound to isolate the historic low-level radioactive waste by securely encasing it on the top, bottom and sides with thick, multiple layers of natural and specially manufactured materials.
These layers form components of the cover and baseliner that, independently, are robust enough to prevent contaminants from entering the environment. Together, they function as multiple back-up safety systems.
The multi-component cover system will reduce surface water infiltration through the waste, provide protection of the mound from inadvertent intrusion into the waste, and reduce levels of gamma radiation on the surface of the mound to background levels.
Monitoring systems are installed within the mound and around the perimeter of the long-term waste management facility site.