Port Hope Harbour Area of Concern

In March 2001, a legal agreement was signed by the Government of Canada, represented by Natural Resources Canada, and the local community, represented by the Town of Port Hope, the Township of Hope and the Municipality of Clarington. This agreement represented a firm commitment to the clean-up and long-term management of local historic low-level radioactive waste, including radioactive wastes found within Port Hope Harbour.

This agreement is significant because it represents a step forward in the Port Hope Harbour RAP. For over 20 years, progress was limited because a specially designed management and storage facility was not available to accomodate the low-level radioactive sediment, including sediments from the Harbour. However, in 1997 Hope Township submitted a proposal to the Government of Canada to house the waste management and storage facility. This submission was a turning point that eventually led to the signing of the legal agreement four years later.

With support from the local community, the Government of Canada is now working on the Port Hope Area Initiative, a 10-year, $260-million strategy to develop and implement a long-term solution for managing and storing the low-level radioactive wastes. The Port Hope Area Initiative is being led by the Low Level Radioactive Waste Management Office of Natural Resources Canada.