Accessibility and Access Keys [0]
The auditor general sounded the alarm months ago about “a significant deficiency” found in a special examination at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., it was revealed late yesterday.
The revelation came just hours after the federal Liberals called for the firing of Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn—over his threat to fire Linda Keen, head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. At the same time, the Liberals called for the release of the report submitted to AECL, a Crown corporation, by Auditor General Sheila Fraser in late August.
The Liberals stumbled across the report when they asked Ms. Fraser to examine AECL after the controversial closing and reopening last month of its Chalk River nuclear plant, which caused a worldwide shortage of medical isotopes.
“We found a significant deficiency related to unresolved strategic challenges that could prevent the corporation from achieving its mandate,” the report said.
Ms. Fraser cited deficiencies in two areas related to the current political controversy.
One is a nine-year delay in constructing a facility to produce medical isotopes in Chalk River. Two reactors and a processing facility originally planned for completion in 2000 are now expected this year and in 2009, the report said. Also, significant investments were still needed as of last spring. “Moreover, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, AECL’s regulator, has identified technical compliance issues that AECL has yet to fully resolve.”
The other is that AECL needs at least $600 million to replace or refurbish 50- to 60-year-old Chalk River infrastructure, but has received only $34 million from the government over the last five years “to address urgent health, safety, security and environmental issues.”
The report was released by the AECL after normal business hours amid continued political fallout from the temporary closure last month of the Chalk River nuclear unit for maintenance and a backup safety upgrade. The subsequent worldwide shortage of isotopes prompted the government to convince Parliament to order it reopened against the wishes of the Nuclear Safety Commission.
In an Aug. 28 letter to AECL board of directors accompanying the report, Nancy Cheng, assistant auditor general, said “it is our view that this report contains information that should be brought to the attention of the minister of natural resources. Accordingly, following consultation with the board, we will be forwarding a copy of the report to the minister.”
At a news conference earlier, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion complained of excessive secrecy and called for Mr. Lunn’s firing for threatening to fire Ms. Keen. Mr. Dion accused the government of “threatening democracy” by intervening in the affairs of the quasi-judicial commission.
Green party leader Elizabeth May also rose to Ms. Keen’s defence, saying Mr. Lunn should resign for threatening to fire her and for interfering in the commission. Parliamentary traditions and representative democracy require regulators to operate at arm’s length from politicians, she said in a statement.
Mr. Dion and Ms. May weighed in on a public exchange of letters in which Mr. Lunn threatened to ask cabinet to fire Ms. Keen as president, while allowing her continued membership in the commission. He gave her until the end of today to respond in writing to his allegations that she lacked leadership and fundamental good judgment.
In her response, Ms. Keen accused Mr. Lunn of improper interference in commission operations, questioned his right to have her fired and called for a public inquiry to defend her role in the Chalk River medical isotope crisis last month.
The letters spurred fresh political tension over the government’s decision last month to force the reopening of the nuclear research unit in Chalk River.
Mr. Dion said Prime Minister Stephen Harper should fire Mr. Lunn for making Ms. Keen a “scapegoat” in a controversy over the Chalk River closure and should apologize for questioning the commission’s impartiality.
“This is damaging our democracy, big time,” Mr. Dion said at a news conference.
While calling for Mr. Lunn’s firing, the Liberals also sought his appearance, along with Ms. Keen, at a meeting of the Commons’ natural resources committee they are attempting to organize for early next week.
“With his outrageous response to this crisis of trying to blame Ms. Keen for his own inept handling of this file, we believe Mr. Lunn has plenty to answer for,” said Liberal natural resources critic Omar Alghabra, who uncovered the auditor general’s report on AECL.
“It’s interesting that, as Ms. Keen points out in her letter, Mr. Lunn is suddenly playing schoolyard bully with his threats of dismissal, when he made a point of stressing in the House of Commons last month that the commission was ‘absolutely independent of government’.”
Mr. Alghabra said the matter has “clearly turned ugly” and it was time to clear the air by hearing from both sides.
Calls to Mr. Lunn’s office were not returned.
A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr. Harper had no intention of firing the minister.