Evidence of meeting #40 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 reactor.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Alan Tonks
Thank you, Mr. Carroll, for your presentation.
We'll now move to the question and answer portion of our meeting, starting with Mr. Regan for seven minutes. We'll try to make the full round on the seven-minute question period.
Mr. Regan.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us today and appearing from a long distance this evening, in Sweden.
Mr. Heysel, I hope I'm pronouncing your name correctly.
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
Yes.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you.
You talked about the U.S. cap of $250,000. What is the cap that applies to you at the moment?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
Currently McMaster's cap is $1.5 million.
Liberal
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
I'm not aware of what the other universities pay.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Do you know how it's determined, or the basis? Is it per megawatt?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
I'm not sure how it's arrived at.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
If I understand correctly, you're saying that the result of this bill would be to raise your cap from $1.5 million to $4 million approximately.
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
About $3.6 million, I understand.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Is this because of the bill itself, or the regulations the department is talking about with you?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
I think that's the number I was informed as being the target for McMaster.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
The reason I ask is that my next question is whether you have any proposal in relation to an amendment to the bill that might deal with this problem.
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
I don't have an amendment prepared. I was contacted last week, so I'm just trying to get up to speed with both the proposed bill in Canada and some of the international experience.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
We've heard from some witnesses that there ought to be unlimited liability. What would the impact of that be on your operations?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
It would shut down all research reactors at universities in Canada.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Would this bill and the proposed plan from the government have any impact on your proposal, which you brought forward to us last spring, to produce isotopes?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
It would increase the costs of the ability to produce isotopes. I'm not sure if we'd be reassessed on the new activities and our limit would change, but I would see it affecting our bottom line to make these isotopes.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Has the government followed up on your proposal to make isotopes?
Director, Nuclear Operations and Facilities, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster University
We were asked to submit an expression of interest to the expert panel, which I understand is currently reviewing the various proposals in order to get back to the government in November.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
So you haven't had an answer at this stage.
Mr. Walker, I think you were here for the first part of the meeting.
John Walker Legal Counsel, Walker Sorensen LLP, Nuclear Insurance Association of Canada
Yes, I was.
Liberal
Legal Counsel, Walker Sorensen LLP, Nuclear Insurance Association of Canada
No, I'm sorry, I did not.