The Pickering Nuclear Station takes up 600 acres of prime waterfront real estate in the City of Pickering. When North America’s 3rd oldest nuclear station closes in 2024, this means that there will be an exciting chance for the people of Pickering to revitalize their waterfront – and their community. But that will only happen if OPG does the right thing and begins dismantling the 53-year-old plant as soon as it closes.
Immediate decommissioning is strongly recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has been successfully carried out at a number of closed plants in the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. OPG, however, says it wants to wait 30 years to begin the process of taking apart Pickering, leaving a mothballed hulk on the Pickering waterfront until at least 2064.
This short report outlines the benefits of immediately dismantling the Pickering Nuclear Station after closure and the need for more secure storage of the significant amounts of radioactive waste produced over the half-century of operations at the plant.
For a full economic analysis of the benefits of immediate decommissioning, see our comprehensive study: Direct Decommissioning of the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station: Economic and Other Benefits