Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 24th, 2009

[Dr. Michael Binder]

That's right.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Ms. Keen told us that she was concerned about the political independence of your organization. She said that the nuclear industry should be safe and reliable, and we both agree about that. Nevertheless, doesn't the fact that you have to supply isotopes on a worldwide basis put heavy pressure on you? We saw the crisis that arose from this. Parliament had to intervene in order to resolve it. Do you not think that there was a connection with both these mandates?

[Dr. Michael Binder]

I entirely agree in saying that decisions are hard to make. If they were easy, we would not need a commission. The commission's role really consists in considering all the relevant factors. Environmental impact is also a very difficult issue. We have to measure all the risk factors and make a decision. It is not easy, but it is our mandate.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

You say that you are the watchdog, and I am glad to hear you say that. We, of the Bloc Québécois, are very fond of calling ourselves a watch dog for Quebeckers. I really understand what that means. Do you feel free to do your work as a watch dog? is there no political interference and do you have sufficient freedom to make your decisions?

[Dr. Michael Binder]

I have been a public servant for 37 years, and I am entirely convinced that I am fully independent. It is very difficult to try and influence a commission in its work.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

You told us that there was a leak last Sunday. Regarding this, you told us such leaks were of little interest, and that you were surprised at the level of interest they had provoked among the public. Now, I am the MP for Trois-Rivières and I also live in the neighbourhood of a nuclear plant. We even keep iodine pills at home along with a list of safety measures. I understand that this issue can attract the interest of the public and of the media. The nuclear sector is a very complicated one.

Do you not think that further steps should be taken, that simpler and more adequate information should be provided? When some people who have been associated with your organization cast doubt on your transparency, should you not take further steps to reassure the public? Please reassure me.

[Dr. Michael Binder]

I entirely agree. One of my challenges was to improve the information provided on our site. We will try to make it easier to understand. Nuclear science is a very complex subject, and people are afraid of such operations. Consequently, these things must be explained to them. We have a very good track record. We operate in a very...

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Safe manner?

[Dr. Michael Binder]

Yes, thank you. And that has been the case for quite a few years. However, we must improve the information provided on our website.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Have you changed any specific parts of your operating methods or do the changes have to do only with your website? I imagine that if I were you, I would have taken the bull by the horns...

[Dr. Michael Binder]

Therefore, I will try—

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

...and I would have decided to make some substantial changes, because people are very worried.

[Dr. Michael Binder]

The information needs to be simplified, and it is not an easy thing to do. We have always attempted to explain the figures. In this case, we tried to explain the events. I do not know if we succeeded. It is up to you to tell us whether we succeeded or not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Merci, Madame Brunelle.

Mr. Cullen, for up to seven minutes, please.

Go ahead.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses for being here.

I'm surprised that you're surprised, sir, that there was this much public interest. I'm finding it hard to reconcile the history of this particular reactor over the last 18 months. I'm reading a press release from AECL just after the leak in early December. They're talking about a regularly scheduled outage, and they talk about unanticipated technical challenges.

Is that an industry term for a leak, a spill?

[Dr. Michael Binder]

You'd have to ask them.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I mean from your knowledge--you have extensive knowledge in this field.

[Dr. Michael Binder]

Not necessarily.

I don't know if you have ever visited that site or any other nuclear plant. I must tell you, the first time I visited it was only about nine months ago. What surprised me is the size--the magnitude and complexity. There are literally miles of pipes, of switches. There are all kinds of glitches that can go wrong or that can trip a machine. It could be any one of those technical issues.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

But during this particular moment at the site, there was a leak.

[Dr. Michael Binder]

Right.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

The reactor, in fact, had been shut down earlier than scheduled to compensate for that leak. But the Canadian public was told about “unanticipated technical challenges”.

I will pose this question to AECL. I was trying to get some understanding from you, as an expert in the field, if that is somehow code or translates into a serious problem. While you may suggest that the site is big and there are miles of pipe, the funny thing about nuclear waste is that it doesn't take much to affect an environment, and it doesn't take much to alert the public.

Is it leaking right now?

[Dr. Michael Binder]

Not to my knowledge.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Not to your knowledge. There was a leak reported this morning that happened over the weekend.

[Dr. Michael Binder]

On Sunday a leak was detected. We were informed on Sunday of the leak.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

So that leak has been repaired?