Bruce Power said Oct. 22 it had been notified of two federal Fisheries Act charges tied to a 2025 fish kill at its Ontario nuclear station, placing the event within a legal case over environmental compliance.
CBC reported that Fisheries and Oceans Canada estimated between 3.3 million and 4.3 million fish died at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station from February to March 2025. The reported loss was more than 200 times the station’s annual permitted limit by weight, which is 6,600 kilograms, CBC said.
CBC reported that one charge alleges industrial activity unrelated to fishing caused fish deaths, while the other alleges Bruce Power breached conditions of its environmental permit. Bruce Power said it would respond through the legal process.
The fish gathered near the station’s warm-water discharge into Lake Huron, then became caught on screens that draw in cooling water, CBC reported. Bruce Power attributed the event to prolonged cold and an unusually large gizzard shad population after several warm years. The company said it took Unit 2 out of service while mitigation measures were put in place.
Bruce Power said it spent millions of dollars on added protections, including net barriers, sound and light deterrents, sonar and cameras, along with more lake monitoring and research. The company said the combination of conditions resembled one last seen in the late 1970s.
CBC quoted a fisheries biologist who described smaller die-offs at the station in 1977 and 2023. Gizzard shad are prey for trout, pike and walleye, and the biologist said their loss raises concern for Lake Huron’s food web, CBC reported.
Bruce Power is scheduled to appear in Ontario provincial court on Nov. 24, CBC reported.
