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Academics, environmental lawyers and civil society organizations are raising the alarm over a federal proposal to reduce independent scrutiny of nuclear and uranium projects.
A May 8th Discussion Paper proposes major rollbacks in project reviews under the Impact Assessment Act. The proposal would hit nuclear projects particularly hard, handing the assessment process over to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
“Decisions about nuclear projects require very careful evaluation and meaningful public participation. The reviews must be based on sound information that is tested by independent experts,” commented Dr. Ole Hendrickson, researcher with Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area.
“The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has a track record of being led by industry insiders. It never turns down license applications and reports to a Minister who promotes nuclear power.”
The Discussion Paper proposes that “the CNSC would be responsible for conducting the impact assessment” and “determine whether the project would cause significant negative federal effects”. Even projects already undergoing review by the Impact Assessment Agency would be handed over to the CNSC.
Brennain Lloyd, project coordinator with the northern Ontario environmental coalition Northwatch, describes this as both disruptive and discouraging for public participation.
“Assessments are underway of new reactor builds at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, in Peace River in Alberta and at Wesleyville, Ontario, plus the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s plan to transport, process, bury and abandon all of Canada’s high-level nuclear waste at the Revell site in the heart of Treaty 3 territory in northwestern Ontario,” Lloyd explained.
“These are massive projects requiring huge financial outlay and imposing risk over very, very long time periods. Members of the public have already invested tens of thousands of hours reviewing them. To be told now that the whole process could be handed over to the CNSC is unthinkable.”
Public trust of the CNSC has been an issue over many years. Academic studies observe that the CNSC has features of a “captured regulator”. It sometimes even self-identifies as being part of the nuclear industry.
“The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission often seeks to exclude the public from decision-making. It was in the utmost secrecy that it authorised, last year, the transport of spent radioactive fuel from the Gentilly-1 power station along Quebec’s roads to Ontario,” explains Gilles Provost, spokesperson for Ralliement contre la pollution radioactive.
Organizations have collaborated to create a web page, backgrounders and an action alert at Assessing-Nuclear-Risk.ca. They urge the public to make comments by June 7th.
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