Proposal to add radionuclides to the National Pollutant Release Inventory: Notification of decision

This notification is in response to a request to add radionuclides to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) substance list.

Canadian nuclear facilities already monitor and report on releases of radionuclides to Canada’s nuclear regulatory body, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The CNSC is making this data accessible as part of their commitment to open government and their mandate to disseminate this information to the public. Because of this, the Government of Canada decided that this request did not meet the criteria for adding substances to the NPRI.

Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) requested that the Government continue to pursue this matter with its stakeholders rather than rejecting the addition of radionuclides to the NPRI. In response, we will cross link NPRI and CNSC data sets and information products so Canadians can access information on each of their respective websites. A working group will report on this initiative on a regular basis and we welcome feedback from our stakeholders.

The original request to add radionuclides to the NPRI, the Government of Canada response and the subsequent request from the ENGOs are available upon request by contacting the NPRI program.