OPG TO TRAIN IT'S OWN "ARMED FORCE"
Metroland, Oshawa-Whitby-Clarington This Week - Jennifer Stone - August 3, 2007
DURHAM -- Ontario Power Generation's facilities -- including Darlington and
Pickering Nuclear -- will be guarded by OPG employees, instead of members of the
Durham Regional Police, by 2013.
That's when the DRPS agreement with OPG comes to an end.
It was a partnership forged after 9/11, when the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission upped its requirements for security at facilities like nuclear power
stations.
"The CNSC asked for compliance in a fairly timely manner, and we wanted to make
sure we were timely and did it (met the requirements) well,"" said OPG
spokeswoman Jacquie McInnes. Having Durham cops take on the job ""allowed us to
focus on some of the other security enhancements"" required post-9/11, including
a new security building at Darlington, and ""more robust security measures,"
including geometric identification systems, she said.
Now, at the direction of the regulator, the CNSC, OPG is to put in place its own
armed force.
"In discussion with DRPS and in review of our evolving security requirements,
and the direction of our regulator, OPG and DRPS jointly agreed that for the
long term this was the best course of action for our nuclear response
capability,"" said Ms. McInnes.
OPG isn't currently saying how large the force will be, nor how many DRP
officers it has had on hand over the last few years. Hiring and training will be
completed over the next several years.
"The candidates will be looked at from a number of places ... They'll be
selected and trained over the next six years," said Ms. McInnes.
Neither DRP Chief Mike Ewles nor police association president Tom Andrews could
be reached for comment. But, in a press release, Chief Ewles said DRPS's support
for OPG would continue.
"The Durham Regional Police Service nuclear response force at Pickering and
Darlington will continue in its present form until all partners and the Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission are fully satisfied that the new model will exceed
current capacities, and meet all of the safety needs for our communities," he
said. "Following this transition, the DRPS will remain committed to provide
off-site support to OPG's new security division, just as we have done for the
last 40 years."