Public Information Program (PIP)

We are a leader in protecting the health and safety of our employees and neighbours, and our operations continually exceed the standards set by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). Meeting or exceeding the CNSC requirements, we do our part to protect the health, safety, environment and security of Canadians. And, through our Public Information Program (PIP), we are committed to open public communications.

Should you have any questions about our Public Information Program, please contact Richard Wassenaar at [email protected] or at 613-592-3400 x2579.

Nordion’s Public Disclosure Protocol

Nordion is committed to open and transparent relationships with its stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, customers, regulators and the public. The purpose of the Program, as it relates to the CNSC licensed activities of our Ottawa facility, is to ensure that information related to the health, safety and security of persons and the environment, and other issues associated with the lifecycle of the facility, are effectively communicated to the public. The Company has established a Public Disclosure Protocol (the “Protocol”) to ensure that public communications are informative, timely, and accurate, and that material information is disclosed to the general public in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. This Protocol is an integral part of Nordion’s program.

In order to determine what types of information would be of public interest, Nordion shall consult with public stakeholders and interest groups with a primary focus on the local community.

The objectives of the Protocol are to:

  • Provide information on health, safety, and security of persons and the environment, and ensure issues associated with facilities’ licensed operations and activities are communicated.
  • Communicate, on an ongoing and timely basis. Communications will address the public’s perception of risk, as well as the level of public interest of our facility operations, activities, and anticipated effects on environment, health and safety of persons.
  • Ensure consistent standards and procedures for public disclosure of material and non-material information under this Protocol.
  • Ensure communications under this Protocol are balanced and broadly communicated in a non-selective manner to individuals, organizations, stakeholders and the public based on real or perceived risks and public interest or concern.

Public Disclosures 2024

Emergency Response Training Exercise

On June 21, 2024, Nordion evacuated their March Road facility in Kanata as part of a planned Emergency Response exercise with the Ottawa Fire Services teams. The ability to safely evacuate the occupants of any building is very important to mitigate the impact of an emergency. Nordion holds exercises involving practice evacuation on a regular basis as part of its Emergency Management Program to ensure appropriate preparedness for the unlikely event of an emergency at the Nordion site. This exercise was successfully completed at approximately 11 am and we thank those who participated.

CNSC Independent Environmental assessment

As part of its oversight activities, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) conducts environmental assessments of licensee’s facilities under its Independent Environmental Monitoring Program. In 2023, CNSC staff collected testing samples around the Nordion facility. The CNSC concluded that Nordion’s environmental protection program was effective and that Nordion continued to protect people and the environment in the vicinity of our facility. The results can be found on the CNSC website at https://www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca/eng/resources/maps-of-nuclearfacilities/iemp/

OPS Special Training

Nordion is hosting the Ottawa Police Services (OPS) on May 20th at noon for a special OPS training exercise. This is part of our efforts to build and maintain a strong relationship with OPS. OPS will have emergency vehicles on site. These types of outreach events are important for both Nordion and Ottawa emergency services in order to improve response capabilities and ensure an integrated response in the unlikely event that there is an emergency at the Nordion site.

Ottawa Fire Services On-Site Tour

At approximately 1.57 pm on May 1, 2024, the Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) was dispatched to Nordion’s facility after receiving a call in error from Nordion’s third-party monitoring company.

This event did not trigger an actual fire alarm, there was no evacuation and the emergency response plan was not initiated.

Ottawa Fire Services On-Site Tour

Members of Ottawa Fire Department is on-site at Nordion for a planned meeting on April 12th. There will be emergency vehicles on site during this visit.

This is part of their normal and routine community service and not in response to any incident or threat to Nordion. These visits allow the Ottawa emergency response teams to better understand Nordion’s operations and respond if ever needed.

2024 — Reports

Annual Compliance and Operational Performance Report*
CNSC Review of Nordion’s Performance
Quarterly Event Reports*

Public Disclosures

If you’d like to see disclosures for previous years, you’ll find links to this information below.