Ontario Power Generation
Pickering B Risk Assessment Summary Report
The Pickering B Risk Assessment (PBRA) report summarizes the risk assessment of the station and compares the risks associated with the operation of this facility against Ontario Power Generation's Safety Goals.
Safety goals are used in risk assessments to identify acceptable levels of risk based on a comparison of risks encountered by individuals and society from other causes. The philosophy is that consequences of plant operations should not result in significant additional risk to life and health. In undertaking the assessment, extremely unlikely events are examined.
The PBRA calculates the public health risks arising from the potential for radiological releases following events occurring internally at the station. In addition, two types of externally-initiated events are postulated; namely, loss of off-site power and failures associated with the station’s service water intake structures.
The PBRA was conducted with the following three key objectives:
- to provide an integrated review of the adequacy of the safety of the current station design and operation;
- to provide a basis for improvements to the operational surveillance program; and,
- to prepare a risk model in a form that it can be used, in conjunction with ancillary application tools, to assist the safety-related decision making process throughout the remaining life of the station.
In the context of these objectives, the principal conclusions for the study are summarized below.
First Conclusion: The risk to the health and welfare of the population living and working in the vicinity of Pickering NGS from the operation of Pickering NGS B is significantly lower than other risks to which they are normally exposed.
Second Conclusion: The likelihood of an accident causing severe damage to the reactor core is acceptably low and is comparable to, or lower than, that calculated for other operating nuclear power reactor designs.
Third Conclusion: The likelihood of an accidental release large enough to warrant relocation of members of the public is sufficiently low that it can be considered negligible for all practical purposes.
Click here to read the document Pickering B Risk Assessment Summary Report. Information of a security or commercially-sensitive nature has been blocked in the attached report. Click here to read Ontario Power Generation Nuclear Safety Goals.
