Accessibility and Access Keys [0]
OTTAWA—A special review team will try to get to the bottom of why the Chalk River, Ont., nuclear reactor that produces life-saving medical isotopes was shut down in late November, prompting a medical and political crisis.
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., which operates the nuclear plant in eastern Ontario, and its regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, announced Thursday they will conduct a joint review of the circumstances that led up to the extended closure of the NRU reactor.
The Chalk River reactor was shut down for routine maintenance and during that time, the CNSC discovered AECL had not performed safety upgrades it was supposed to have done. The commission argued the operator was, therefore, violating its licence.
The regulator said the reactor was not allowed to resume operations until the safety upgrades were done and the prolonged closure meant a worldwide shortage of medical isotopes, which are used in diagnostic tests and medical treatments.
Parliament stepped in and passed emergency legislation, overriding the CNSC, to get the reactor going again. Prime Minister Stephen Harper then fired CNSC president Linda Keen and much finger-pointing ensued between the government, the opposition parties, AECL and CNSC.
“We welcome this opportunity for a full and transparent examination and expect to learn valuable lessons that can be applied in the future,” AECL’s president and CEO Hugh MacDiarmid said in a statement.
“The joint review team will cover all action taken by each organization, as well as the lessons learned by both organizations from the event,” said a press release from the two organizations. The review will also examine the specific actions of staff and deliver a set of recommendations.
The consulting firm Talisman International was retained by CNSCin December and now has also been retained by AECL to complete the joint report. It’s expected to be completed by the spring and will be made public.
Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn had rejected calls from the opposition for an independent review of what happened and whether the government was justified in firing Keen.
“There is absolutely no need for a review and there will not be one,” Gary Lunn said in an interview in late January.
Lunn said an ongoing review of AECL is the only review needed and it’s the only review that will be undertaken.
National Post