Vision in Motion

Vision in Motion (VIM) is a large-scale project at Cameco’s Port Hope Conversion Facility (PHCF) to address legacy waste inherited from historic operations while aiming to improve the overall look and efficiency of the facility. VIM is a unique and timely opportunity made possible by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) and the construction of its Long-Term Waste Management Facility (LTWMF).

A key to the success of this project is collaboration with the PHAI and the Municipality of Port Hope (MPH). VIM is a long-term investment, and Cameco continues to work closely with the PHAI to manage historic low-level waste, coordinate remediation and redevelop the conversion facility.

Vision in Motion project activities include:

  • removal of up to 150,000 cubic metres of inherited waste materials, including excavated soil
  • removal of select surplus equipment and buildings at PHCF
  • construction and refurbishment of buildings to improve look and efficiency of the site
  • installation of flood protection barriers that will also provide radiation, noise and visual shielding along the eastern fence line
  • improvements to storm water management infrastructure
  • shifting the fence line at the south end of the facility
  • collaborating with PHAI in the creation of a new harbour wall to increase public space improvements to parking and traffic flow

Benefits of VIM

Our VIM plans incorporate feedback from both community members and municipal leaders suggesting we shift PHCF’s footprint, where possible, to provide greater public access to the harbour. VIM activities have achieved over a 20 percent reduction to Cameco’s footprint. 

Other key benefits include:

  • safe clean up and management of legacy waste
  • jobs for the duration of the project
  • long-term viability of the largest industrial employer in the Port Hope area
  • improved operational appearance
  • enhanced public access to waterfront
  • improved environmental performance

Current/Planned activities 2025 

Preparation and transfer of stored waste materials (ongoing)

  • Removal of equipment from buildings, including Building 2
  • Construction of a new warehouse building (Building 72) on the footprint of the former Building 27
    • Foundation work has begun, with the structure to begin to be built later this year

Completed activities

The VIM project has been in progress at PHCF since the early 2000s. Here are some of the major achievements:

Removal of Building 27

January 2024: Cameco and its many contractors and construction management teams celebrated one of the most publicly visible VIM accomplishments to date – the removal of building 27, the site’s old UF6 plant. 

The demolition took roughly five years, with an 18-month interruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time approximately 3,000 ‘Supersacs’ were safely shipped to the LTWMF.

The removal of building 27 took an estimated 125,000 hours to complete and was safely and methodically demolished without any significant safety or environmental incidents.

This VIM project has forever changed the Port Hope waterfront skyline.

Read more about this project in Energize.

November 2024: Priestly Demolition, the main contractor of this building removal, won top prize at the World Demolition Awards in Stockholm, Sweden. Read more about this achievement in Energize. 

Centre Pier

Above: Watch timelapse video of center pier demolition in spring, 2019.

For many years, the Port Hope centre pier situated adjacent to PHCF was used as a storage site for legacy waste inherited from previous operations.

June 2015: VIM activities began and two small buildings on the pier were removed. The drummed waste stored was repackaged and were transported to the LTWMF

Spring 2019: Cameco concluded the safe removal of historic waste from the centre pier which was safely transported and placed into storage at the Long-Term Waste Management Facility. All buildings on the Centre Pier were safely demolished and the property was turned over to the Municipality of Port Hope for PHAI to conduct remediation of the site and harbour. 

This project was rooted in collaboration and teamwork alongside the PHAI and MPH and the success of these activities are integral to the VIM project. This work has enabled Cameco to reduce PHCF’s footprint and ensure lands on the centre pier will be available to the MPH for future development.

South End of PHCF

Since VIM project began at the south end of Port Hope Conversion Facility, the following activities have been achieved:

  • New cryogenic gas station (liquid hydrogen station)
  • Remediation of soil
  • Improvements to stormwater discharges
  • New flood protection and shielding wall

Other completed activities, include:

  • Removal of Building 14 and 15
  • Turnover of a portion of the former waterworks property to MPH
  • Progress on transfer of stored waste materials from PHCF main site, centre pier and Dorset Street location

Upcoming work:

The following sequence of key activities is driving the VIM schedule: 

  • Demolition of Building 27 (complete)
  • Construction of a new warehouse
  • Demolition of old warehouse
  • Remediation of soil under existing warehouses and surrounding area
  • Final restoration work, including new feature wall on the west side of the turning basin 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many jobs will be created during this project?

To complete the Vision in Motion project Cameco will create some temporary and full time positions and also award certain contracts for the duration of the project. This may result in as many as 50 – 100 contractor positions over the duration of the project.

You mentioned this being a long-term investment at the site, can you elaborate on that more?

This investment will result in long-term environmental benefits and infrastructure improvements that will ensure the future of the site.

The clean-up and renewal activities will improve the look and efficiency of the site and address legacy waste issues at the facility.

What plans are in place to add greenery (trees and plants) to the facility?

There will be minimal planting within our fence line due to security restrictions, but grass seed will be planted in certain areas. Once the Vision in Motion project is complete, there will be opportunity to work with Municipality of Port Hope to explore ways to improve greenery in the harbour area.

Why were you unable to preserve any of the buildings on the Centre Pier?

There were many discussions with the municipality, the Port Hope Area Initiative and the community about preservation of buildings or parts of buildings, but it was technically challenging to preserve these buildings while still meeting the PHAI’s cleanup criteria. The Municipality of Port Hope council determined that removal was the most reasonable option, based on cost and potential impact on the PHAI schedule. However, some components of the building were salved under the guidance of the Port Hope ACO. These items are being stored by the Municipality of Port Hope on their behalf.

How can I tell if a truck is shipping waste materials?

All trucks will be properly labelled and waste movement activities will be overseen by the appropriate regulator.

The trucks shipping waste material from Cameco’s property will be carrying a blue or yellow sea container. The colour does not indicate a difference in the material it’s carrying. Cameco will also be using dump trucks to ship building materials to the waste site.

What would happen if one of the trucks transporting the waste materials were involved in an accident?

All waste movement activities will be overseen by the appropriate regulator.

All necessary safety precautions will be taken including extensive training, mandatory vehicle specifications and comprehensive emergency response procedures.

What is being done to protect the public while contaminated materials are being transported along municipal streets?

A comprehensive radiation protection protocol has been established and implemented to ensure all potential hazards are eliminated or mitigated. Our materials are packaged and generally materials have relatively low uranium concentrations therefore posing little risk to the public and the environment.

I live close to the facility. What’s being done to limit noise during the Vision in Motion project?

We take potential noise issues very seriously. To address these potential issues, we will be monitoring noise throughout the project and plan work to minimize noise impacts as much as possible by operating during daylight hours.

During recent demolition activities, noise was successfully managed resulting in no complaints and no noise monitoring results above established action levels.

How dangerous are the legacy wastes you have stored at the PHCF site?

The wastes have been safely stored on site for many years and there is no threat to the environment or the public. We have highly trained employees with the experience and knowledge to safely store and transport this type of material.

QUESTIONS?

If you have a question or concern regarding our Vision in Motion project, please contact us.