OREANDA-NEWS. July 07, 2016. Canada’s nuclear sector provides good jobs and contributes significantly to Canada’s clean energy goals. The sector operates under strong regulatory standards and oversight, including ensuring that its facilities are highly secure and have stringent waste management practices.   

Construction of a safe and secure facility for the storage of low-level radioactive waste is underway in the municipality of Port Hope, Ontario. This new facility will create well-paying jobs and contribute significantly to the local economy while protecting the environment. Kim Rudd, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, was in Port Hope today to take part in in a ceremony to launch the construction of the new facility.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pe?a Nieto announced last week a historic goal for North America to achieve 50 percent clean power generation by 2025 through clean energy development and deployment, clean energy innovation and energy efficiency, and this initiative will help to achieve that goal. 

The Port Hope Project is part of the broader Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) — an agreement between the Government of Canada and local communities to develop and implement a safe, long-term management solution for low-level radioactive waste within the municipalities of Clarington and Port Hope. The Government of Canada is investing \\$1.28 billion over 10 years toward the implementation phase of the PHAI.

Canada’s nuclear industry directly employs about 30,000 Canadians and generates over \\$6 billion in annual government revenues. It also accounts for close to 17 percent of Canada's electricity, including more than half the electricity in Ontario. 

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“Today marks an important milestone for the Port Hope Area Initiative, and I congratulate everyone who has helped make this day possible. The low-level radioactive waste management facility in Port Hope will provide good jobs to the community, while protecting the environment.”

Kim Rudd
Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources