Ontario Power Generation
Nuclear Safety
Radiation Safety
At Ontario Power Generation’s nuclear power plants safety is our first priority. In more than 35 years of operating our facilities, a member of the public has never been harmed from our nuclear operations.
OPG’s priority for all of its generating stations, including its nuclear generation, is to safely operate our facilities in a manner that minimizes impact on the environment.
All of OPG’s nuclear power plants are registered to the internationally recognized ISO 14001 standards for Environmental Management Systems. This voluntary standard directs our actions and demonstrates a high standard of environmental responsibility, including radiological safety.
Water Safety and Radiation
The lakes and groundwater around Durham’s nuclear stations are safe.
In its operation history, OPG has never exceeded regulatory limits on radioactive releases into the environment, and typically releases are extremely small when compared to the regulatory limits.
Ontario’s regulatory limit for tritium drinking water levels is 7,000 bequerels per litre. However, OPG has set its own internal target much lower, at just 100 Bq/l. In 2006, water tested at the closest municipal water treatment plants to our stations measured between five to seven Bq/l, a trace amount. In fact, OPG routinely samples (daily) at local municipal water treatment plants and the results are consistently below our internal target of 100 Bq/l.
Radiation In Our Environment
All Canadians are exposed to naturally-occurring radiation, mostly from the sun and from radon which is found in soil as well as manmade sources such as X-rays.
Exposure to radiation in humans is measured in microsieverts. A Microsievert is a measurement of radiation dose by an individual. The average exposure of Canadians is 1,770 microsieverts a year. In 2006, living near one of OPG’s nuclear plants in Durham Region added less than three additional microsieverts (1.1 microsieverts at Darlington, 2.8 microsieverts at Pickering) to this amount over the course of the year. By contrast, the food and water we consume each year accounts for approximately 300 microsieverts. Other sources of radiation include:
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Cosmic rays |
300 microsieverts |
Healthy and Safe
Download our brochure to find out more about how nuclear products keep us healthy and safe.