Decommissioning of the Gentilly-1 Waste Facility Project

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is proposing a project to decommission the Gentilly-1 Waste Facility in Bécancour, Quebec. The facility includes a partially decommissioned and permanently shutdown prototype nuclear reactor and supporting structures. As proposed, the project, which is being carried out on federal land, is divided into three phases. Phase 2, storage with surveillance, is currently under way. Phase 3 involves dismantling and decontaminating all remaining systems, structures and components and restoring the site. The designation request is for phase 3 and for the transport of nuclear waste.

Latest update

April 15, 2026 — The Vice-President of Operations of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, responded to a designation request for the Decommissioning of the Gentilly-1 Waste Facility Project (the project). The project cannot be designated under the Impact Assessment Act because the carrying out of the physical activity has substantially begun and a federal authority, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, exercised a power conferred on it under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act. The reasons are provided in the response from the Vice President of Operations.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document number Document title File Date
2 Vice-President's Response - April 15, 2026
1 Request for designation of project PDF (142 KB) February 5, 2026

Contacts

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3
Telephone: 613-957-0700 or 1-866-582-1884
Fax: 613-957-0862
Email: information@iaac-aeic.gc.ca

Media Relations
Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3
Email: media@iaac-aeic.gc.ca


Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

  • Location

    • Bécancour (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Waste Management

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2026-04-15

  • Proponent

    Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

  • Authorities

    • Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

  • Assessment Type

    Request for designation not applicable

  • Reference Number

    90350

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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