Nuclear Safety Commission Must be Free to Regulate
Media Release: Posted April 15th, 2009
OTTAWA-- The decision of the federal
court in the case of the firing of Linda Keen as president of the Canadian Nuclear
Safety Commission (CNSC) calls into question the independence of nuclear safety
in Canada and opens it up to political interference. The court ruled Ms. Keen
held her position at the “pleasure of the cabinet” meaning she could
be fired at anytime by the Minister of Natural Resources without cause.
“The law should be changed to ensure those charged with protecting food
safety, health, environment and regulating dangerous industries must not be
vulnerable to the whims of a government,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of
the Greens.
The CNSC is responsible for licensing nuclear power plants, reactors and establishing
the rules for the production, handling and distribution of radioactive materials.
The CNSC decisions are supposed to be based on the best scientific and technical
advice available.
Ms. Keen was fired by then Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn for enforcing
a shutdown order after Atomic Energy Canada Ltd. had misled the CNSC about the
installation of an additional pump on the NRU reactor at Chalk River. AECL had
not installed the pump as ordered by the CNSC. The shutdown order halted production
of medical isotopes used in diagnosing and treatment. The government passed
legislation overriding the CNSC.
“Any regulator particularly a nuclear regulator must make decisions based
on the safety of citizens and not the political preference of the government
of the day,” said Green Environment Critic Lisa Fox.
The NRU reactor is over 50 years
old and is the only reactor producing medical isotopes in North America. It
has had numerous problems and leaks of radioactive waste in the Ottawa River.
AECL spent several hundred million dollars developing the Maple reactor to replace
the NRU but it proved unsafe and was recently abandoned.
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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca