Part two of the public hearing to renew the operating license at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station begins next week.
NB Power operates the facility and is seeking a 25-year license extension which is provided by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Jason Nouwens is the director of regulatory and external affairs at NB Power.
During a virtual media conference on Friday, Nouwens said the extension would cover the facility until 2047.
“Which lines up approximately to the anticipated end of our operating life. At that time, we would make a decision to progress to decommissioning or refurbish the reactor for a second time,” Nouwens said.
Point Lepreau has 900 workers and provides about a third of New Brunswick’s power supply.
The Point Lepreau Generating Station is a migratory path for the Monarch butterfly.
Image supplied by NB Power.
Nouwens said protecting the environment is ‘fundamental to their beliefs and day to day business’.
“We work very closely with our local communities, First Nations and fishermen on the Bay to make sure that we understand the potential impacts we may have on the environment are doing everything we can to be responsible stewards,” Nouwens said.
Nouwens noted Point Lepreau is a migratory pathway for the Monarch butterfly.
He said their regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, considers environmental protection to be very important.
The second part of the hearing is scheduled to start on Tuesday, May 10th.
