December 19, 2013 – One year after the closure of the Gentilly-2 nuclear generating station on December 28, 2012, Hydro-Quebec says the first decommissioning activities related to the preparation period of dormancy were conducted according to schedule.

The relocation of unnecessary personnel has been gradual, in accordance with collective agreements in progress, and enjoyed the support of employees and union representatives at the plant, adds the utility.

At the start of the year, there were about 600 employees at the power plant. At the end of 2013, 307 employees had found another job with the company, retired or left for another employer. About half of those relocated are now in the Mauricie–Centre-du-Quebec region.

Hydro-Quebec also announced the creation of 50 new jobs in the region within the past few months, most of which are held by employees from the Gentilly-2 facility.

Decommissioning work is continually monitored by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, says Hydro-Quebec. To date, important activities have included defuelling the reactor core, which was completed on September 3, and preparing the safe state of storage compliance and aging management programs.

The work to be done in 2014 involves, among other things, draining and safely storing heavy water from cooling and moderator systems, which will require the expertise and participation of some 300 employees.