Natural Resources committee  Nuclear liability insurance is quite a specialized area, and it's important that the insurers who provide insurance in this area subscribe to an appropriate policy and understand the obligations pursuant to the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act. So it's left with the minister to make that determination to authorize those insurers.

Natural Resources committee  It would be up to the minister to ensure there was due diligence of the insurer that was making the application, to ensure that, for example, the insurer had the financial wherewithal and was able to meet the requirements of the legislation.

Natural Resources committee  There can be separate transportation insurance for the facilities.

Natural Resources committee  That's right.

Natural Resources committee  Alternate financial security might be something like a provincial government guarantee, or self-insurance, or a letter of credit, for example, that the operator might be able to get to cover some of the financial security.

Natural Resources committee  No, but they can cover a percentage. In the legislation, that percentage is fixed at 50%. For example, if the Province of Quebec wanted to provide a provincial guarantee for half of the $650 million, it would be able to.

Natural Resources committee  Through self-insurance, it could make a proposal to self-insure half of the liability.

Natural Resources committee  Based on its revenues and assets, it would make certain promises to cover 50% of the risk of the $650 million in the event of a nuclear incident. It would provide a guarantee to the government that would say, in the event of this situation...and then it would have to make a proposal that the minister would then accept, were the minister satisfied that in fact the operator had the financial wherewithal to provide that self-insurance.

Natural Resources committee  It's not really its other facilities. For example, if it had cash assets, etc., then it might provide a commitment that those would be available. This is a commitment against its assets. Oftentimes this is more expensive than actual insurance.

Natural Resources committee  Under clause 20, the question was whether it's an operator—

Natural Resources committee  No, it's whoever would be carrying the material. The damage to the means of transport or the structure or the site where the nuclear material is stored would not be compensated regardless of who owns the—

Natural Resources committee  Exactly.

Natural Resources committee  This applies to the means of transport, not to the goods. So if there were to be a separate insurance policy for the means of transport, they would have to get that separate property insurance themselves.

Natural Resources committee  That's covered under clause 8. If there's damage in relation to transportation, damage affecting third parties, that's covered under clause 8.

Natural Resources committee  The limitation period is applied to every head of damage under the legislation. You must make your claim within three years of understanding that you've suffered the damage. If you were evacuated, you would have to make your claim within three years of the evacuation.