CNSC to conduct sampling at McMaster Nuclear Reactor as part of national environmental monitoring campaign

On May 15-19, McMaster will welcome the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to campus to perform sampling around the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) as part of the CNSC’s Independent Environmental Monitoring Program (IEMP).

The objective of the program is to build Indigenous and public trust in the CNSC’s regulation of the nuclear industry via an independent, technical and accessible environmental sampling program.

CNSC staff will collect environmental samples including air, soil and vegetation from public areas located near the MNR and measure the amounts of radioactive and hazardous substances in those samples at the CNSC’s state-of-the-art laboratory. Technical specialists will interpret the results, which will then be published on the CNSC’s website.

The McMaster Nuclear Reactor is a 5 MW multi-purpose reactor that provides neutrons for research and medical isotope production. It is Canada’s most powerful nuclear research reactor and the nation’s only major neutron source, enabling discoveries in medicine, clean energy, nuclear safety, advanced materials and environmental science.

McMaster holds several licences from the CNSC – Canada’s nuclear materials regulator – which allow University personnel to operate McMaster’s nuclear research facilities and work with radioactive materials. McMaster’s Health Physics department is responsible for ensuring the radiological safety and training of those who work with nuclear substances and radiation devices in the McMaster community.

The IEMP operates in addition to the environmental monitoring programs implemented by the McMaster Nuclear Reactor to ensure the continued safety and protection of the local community and environment. 

View the results of the IEMP’s sampling campaigns.