Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 4th, 2009

Evidence of meeting #38 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 power.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

State of the Nuclear Industry in Canada and Abroad

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Roger Alexander President, AREVA Canada Inc.

Stephen Thomas Professor, Energy Studies, University of Greenwich

Kenneth Nash President and Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Richard Florizone Vice-President, Finance and Resources, University of Saskatchewan

5:15 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Kenneth Nash

The question of security of this material is obviously a question that needs very careful thought, and we need to be very careful about what we say about it. I can assure you that all the precautions taken to safeguard that material right now in Canada and elsewhere result in a very high level of security, and in a deep geological depository, they would also do so. I don't think, from what I understand of it, that the security threat is materially changed by the location in the vicinity of a military base.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Thank you.

Mr. Alexander, AREVA's new build in Finland has nearly doubled in the estimated cost and is significantly behind schedule. To what do you attribute these escalating costs and the delays?

5:15 p.m.

President, AREVA Canada Inc.

Roger Alexander

I think I alluded to some of the factors earlier. This is a jurisdiction that's somewhat immature with respect to nuclear. This is a new process for the licensing authority and there were some significant issues around that. Also, the localization of the nuclear level construction activities required significant work on behalf of the local constructors to develop it. Also, of course, this is the first of a kind for generation III+ technology for any manufacturer in the world. I think those are factors that have certainly affected the activities there.

As I mentioned, I think, our second plant in Flamanville, which I visited the week before last, is reported to be on time and on schedule.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

So then--

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Thank you very much, Ms. Gallant. We're actually out of time. We do have a very important vote soon.

I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being here today.

By video conference, we heard from Professor Thomas, from the University of Greenwich, London.

Thank you very much, Professor Thomas.

Thank you to the gentlemen here in the room: from AREVA Canada, Mr. Alexander, president, and Jean-François Béland, vice-president; from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Kenneth Nash, president and chief executive officer; and from the University of Saskatchewan, Richard Florizone, policy fellow at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.

Thank you all very much. This has been very helpful indeed.

The meeting is adjourned.