Evidence of meeting #44 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 clause.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Dave McCauley Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
Under clause 20, the question was whether it's an operator—
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Yes, if it's a nuclear operator versus.... Whether or not it's the current practice, one could imagine the transportation of nuclear material as being subcontracted. Under this liability regime, does it matter who is carrying the nuclear material when the accident happens?
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
No, it's whoever would be carrying the material. The damage to the means of transport or the structure or the site where the nuclear material is stored would not be compensated regardless of who owns the—
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
Exactly.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
As a second question, do operators currently have separate liability insurance for the transportation of nuclear goods? I ask because it seems as if that would be a moment that is different from the normal operation of a nuclear operator. I'm not an actuary, but I imagine it involves greater risk when you start moving things. Do operators carry their own insurance for the transportation right now?
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
This applies to the means of transport, not to the goods. So if there were to be a separate insurance policy for the means of transport, they would have to get that separate property insurance themselves.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
My question was whether they carry that type of insurance now, to your knowledge. Does the nuclear provider, when it's shipping material, carry some sort of liability insurance along with it? And if it does, how does that affect this liability regime?
Jacques Hénault Analyst, Nuclear Liability and Emergency Preparedness, Department of Natural Resources
Yes, that's right. They have separate policies for the.... For nuclear insurance, it's a separate supplier's or transporter's policy for shipping. But again, this clause refers just to the means of transport. If there is an accident in transport involving nuclear material, the act covers that compensation, but not to the means of transport. It won't replace the truck. Under Bill C-20 the compensation will not replace the cost of the truck.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Okay.
I have one final question, then. If there is harm caused during that transportation accident, is the insurance carried by the nuclear operator only insurance that covers the truck or the train part? Does that transportation insurance also cover damages to the public or industries, or is that covered under Bill C-20? Do you follow my meaning?
I'm not worried so much about the truck. That's a truck or it's a train car. That's not what's going to be the big-ticket item. It's going to be if an incident occurs beside a river or if it affects a community or an industry.
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
That's covered under clause 8. If there's damage in relation to transportation, damage affecting third parties, that's covered under clause 8.
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
That's right.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
So the insurance the companies have right now, in terms of transportation, is just for the actual transport itself and nothing else.
Director, Uranium and Radioactive Waste Division, Electricity Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
There can be separate transportation insurance for the facilities.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Thank you, Mr. Cullen.
Shall clause 20 carry?
Go ahead, Mr. Cullen.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Chair, just on the process, without causing the effect of a counted vote, if I wish to vote against, how does that get recorded in terms of the committee's business?
NDP
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you. That's what I'd like to do for clause 20, please.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Okay, that's on division.
(Clause 20 agreed to on division)
Yes, Mr. Anderson.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
This works as long as Mr. Cullen realizes his name isn't registered as voting against it. It just records that everyone is not in agreement.
