Natural Resources Committee on June 4th, 2009

[Hugh MacDiarmid]

I'll certainly say from a policy level it's absolutely a possibility, and we would be more than willing. I would have to say we would balance that against the obligations we have to return our own reactor to service as quickly as possible. So I think we'd have to put the first priority on our own return to service and then making qualified people available.

[Bill Pilkington]

We do have a lot of knowledge and experience in the business, and parts of that knowledge base are critical to getting the NRU back online, and we'll be applying that specifically to the repairs. However, we do have additional expertise in other areas, which, if a request were made, could be available to support another producer.

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

And I see you've communicated that to all those who may possibly be interested.

[Hugh MacDiarmid]

The many government officials involved in this matter have certainly been in touch with us and they are aware we're ready to help if we can.

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Just to give you a chance to clarify, you put it in there that there's no threat to the general public. Now, unfortunately, having things in the past like Three Mile Island and so forth, people have an image of nuclear reactors as being incredibly scary things. I think someone said there are 200 and some research reactors across the country, and all sorts of little ones here. Could you clarify why you're so confident there's absolutely no threat whatsoever to the general public?

[Bill Pilkington]

We have a highly trained and competent staff, and we have standards on the operation and maintenance of the NRU facility that have to be met that are the highest standards. All our operation is overseen by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. They have inspectors onsite. We report regularly to them, and their mission is to ensure the safety of the public.

At this point, the NRU reactor is shut down. We do need to make repairs. However, the existence of the leak was detected at a very low level, and in itself presents no safety concern.

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

One hundred percent safe?

[Bill Pilkington]

Yes, the public is 100% safe.

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Thank you. I believe my time is up.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you very much, Mr. Trost. Well timed.

We go now to Mr. Tonks. We will have time for a second round, about two minutes each.

Go ahead, please, Mr. Tonks.

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

This may not be the question for these witnesses, but I think it's a question that has to be considered. Looking at the extent of the metal fatigue with respect to the reactor, the scenario might be that the ability to repair this in the short term will prevent the meeting of the domestic isotope requirements from a health care perspective. We are told that 100% of the isotopes from this reactor go outside the country and 10% come back. Someone has to look at the technical capacity to take the McMaster reactor and the domestic concern to be served first. And that 10% in the shorter term.... I'm not talking about our international strategy and future marketing and so on, but meeting the needs of Canadians in the shorter term. It comes after Mr. Trost's question about giving help to others. Could AECL ramp up that technology, or are there shortcomings in that reactor similar to the NRU? Could we go into a strategy in the shorter term to meet our 10% domestic requirement by ramping up the McMaster reactor?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Once again, a short answer, please.

[Hugh MacDiarmid]

As usual in our business, it's a complicated answer, but I'll make it as short as I can.

We have had discussions with McMaster officials. There are some logistical issues that aren't really related to the reactor as much as transporting various materials around the GTA to get them to the processing, which would need to be done at the Nordion facility in Kanata. To the extent it is possible, we're certainly supportive.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Tonks.

We go now to Mrs. Gallant, for up to two minutes. You have time for one short question.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Did you say two minutes or five?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

I said two.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

The most recent shutdown occurred as a consequence of a power outage. We recently had an issue with getting the second battery backup. With all these in place, why did the reactor still go into shutdown, even though we had the battery backup system?

[Bill Pilkington]

Although we have backup power supplies, they are only capable of maintaining NRU safe in a shutdown state. The NRU actually consumes quite a bit of power in its operation, and we do not have electrical backup capability to allow it to continue to operate when we lose off-site power.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

It seems that once the reactor had gone into shutdown, we observed a leak. How do we know that the leak wasn't going on prior to the shutdown?

[Bill Pilkington]

That's a good question.

Our monitoring for leaks is completely independent of whether the reactor is operating or shut down. We're able to detect leaks by detecting tritium at very low levels. Our systems are very sensitive, and whether the reactor is operating or shut down, we can detect leaks at very low levels. If we have to actually go and do a lot of inspections because there's a leak, then we have to be shut down to do that.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Are these types of leaks common among other major isotope-producing reactors?

[Bill Pilkington]

I can't exactly answer that. We're somewhat unique, or are at least in a small family, because we operate a heavy-water-moderated reactor. It allows us to be very versatile; however, it also allows us to detect very small leaks. I really can't speak to other reactors, but generally I would say the leaks are not common, but they do occur.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

So by virtue of using heavy water—

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Mrs. Gallant.

We go now to the Bloc Québécois, to Monsieur Malo, for up to two minutes.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. MacDiarmid, in the reply you gave awhile ago, you told us that the MAPLE was supposed to replace the NRU for the production of isotopes for medical purposes. When the MAPLE project ended, for all intents and purposes, it meant that within a short time Canada was going to stop being a major world producer of isotopes.

So why didn't you contact your international partners to tell them about the new Canadian position and ask them to produce more isotopes, to find ways of producing more and accelerating the new technology projects, since, if we take a look at the new, future technologies, we see that not one of them is Canadian? Why this silence?