Natural Resources Committee on June 4th, 2009

Evidence of meeting #24 for Natural Resources in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nru.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Study of the Atomic Energy Canada Limited Facility at Chalk River and the Status of the Production of Medical Isotopes

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Hugh MacDiarmid President and Chief Executive Officer, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

Bill Pilkington Senior Vice-President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

Michael Binder President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Peter Elder Director General, Directorate of Nuclear Cycle and Facilities Regulation, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Thank you.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Thank you, Ms. Gallant.

Are there any more questions from the government side? We have about a minute.

We'll go now to the Bloc Québécois. Monsieur Malo, you have up to two minutes.

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Thank you.

Mr. Binder, can you tell us whether you are currently supervising the work being done to repair the NRU reactor?

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Dr. Michael Binder

I'd like Mr. Elder to answer this question, but I first wish to say that a repair plan has to be presented.

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Does this mean that the people from AECL have not yet submitted a plan to you for the repairs?

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Dr. Michael Binder

That's right. For now, they're trying to assess the extent of the problem.

They have not yet found out exactly the extent of the problem. They are now doing all the testing required to ascertain the extent of the corrosion--is it local, is it elsewhere--and the kind of repair one might be able to do.

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

If I understand correctly, we're still far from finding a solution.

5:05 p.m.

President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Dr. Michael Binder

Absolutely.

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

I asked you earlier whether there had been in this reactor, in the past, any leaks of heavy water or other substances sufficiently large to be a threat to public health or the environment, but you didn't answer me. Could you do so now?

5:10 p.m.

President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Dr. Michael Binder

Within our existing standard, the leak is a little bit above their action standard. It's one one-thousandth of the actual limit they're not supposed to exceed.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

So in this reactor there's never been a leak that could be described as dangerous?

5:10 p.m.

President, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Dr. Michael Binder

Never.

5:10 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

You have time for a very short question, if you'd like. That's it? Okay.

We are finished with these witnesses, so we will go to committee business.

Thank you very much, Mr. Binder and Mr. Elder, for coming this afternoon. Your input has been very helpful here.

We will suspend for a minute or two as the witnesses clear the table and as we move in camera for a committee business discussion. We will then resume for about 15 minutes.

[Proceedings continue in camera]