BWXT will be conducting routine soil sampling for the presence of beryllium and uranium at several sites in Peterborough, including Prince of Wales Public School on Monaghan Road, on August 14, 2024.

BWXT’s facility in Peterborough assembles fuel bundles for CANDU® reactors using natural uranium dioxide pellets from BWXT’s Toronto facility, which are inserted into tubes creating the fuel bundle.

Uranium is a naturally occurring, weakly radioactive element present at low levels in the environment and naturally, in soil and rocks, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Because uranium is a naturally-occurring, low-level radioactive material that exists virtually everywhere, it contributes to what is called “natural background radiation.”

Beryllium is a lightweight but strong metal found in the earth’s crust and can be found in everything from cell phones and airbag sensors to aircraft and pacemakers. Beryllium is used in small amounts at BWXT’s Peterborough operations to join components of the fuel bundle together. Its use is controlled by a regulated manufacturing program that protects the health and safety of employees, the public and the environment.

More information about BWXT’s environmental monitoring, including previous soil sampling campaign results, can be found here.

The 2024 soil sampling results are expected to be complete by the end of the year or early 2025.

If you have any questions or would like to witness the soil sampling, please contact questions@bwxt.com.