The CNSC: A Regulator with Global Influence

Transcription

1 The CNSC: A Regulator with Global Influence Mr. Jason Cameron Vice-President and Chief Communications Officer Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission The Public Policy Forum s Federal-Provincial Territorial Energy Regulators Summit Montréal, Quebec June 13, 2016 nuclearsafety.gc.ca

2 The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and the environment Implements Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy Disseminates objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public We will never compromise safety 2

3 The CNSC regulates all nuclear facilities and activities in Canada Uranium mines and mills Uranium fuel fabrication and processing Nuclear power plants Nuclear substance processing Industrial and medical applications Nuclear research and educational activities Import and export controls Waste management facilities From cradle to grave 3

4 CNSC staff located across Canada Fiscal year Human resources: 850 FTEs Financial resources: $148 million (~70% cost recovery; ~30% appropriation) Licensees: 1,700 Licences: 2,500 HQ in Ottawa 4 site offices at power plants 1 site office at Chalk River 4 regional offices 4

5 Regulatory excellence and effectiveness can mean different things to different regulators 5

6 International engagement The CNSC has 70 years of experience as a nuclear regulator in Canada Beyond our domestic activities, we work internationally and have established a global presence as a regulator focused on ensuring international nuclear safety We participate in international organizations and fora such as: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) International Nuclear Regulators Association (INRA) Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) 6

7 Global nuclear context has its unique challenges Threats to proliferation and terrorism Concerns with nuclear waste Emerging nuclear states Societal fear of radiation An accident anywhere is an accident everywhere Challenges amplified by misinformation 7

8 Example: Fukushima Zero deaths from radiation; ~3,000 deaths from evacuation Fukushima Daiichi accident Every nuclear country felt the impact of the incident Five years on, accident still frequently referenced in media stories Widespread fear and condemnation of nuclear energy generation Domestic and global outcomes Fukushima prompted all countries to look at the safety of their facilities and adequacy of their regulatory systems Reviews conducted by regulators and operators; actions taken to improve safety of facilities To date, Canadian operators have invested over $500 million dollars on these improvements o Billions more spent internationally However, are these improvements sufficient to prevent any future nuclear accidents? 8

9 Global nuclear regulatory reality Lack of accountability in international safety regime Global regulatory safety framework is premised on national sovereignty Nuclear safety and regulation is the sole responsibility of individual states Currently, no formal mechanism exists to enforce safety at a global level The current global attention on nuclear is increasingly focused on nuclear security and non-proliferation not on nuclear safety Nuclear energy generation is shifting from North America/Europe to Asia Many countries are relatively new to nuclear (technology, regulation and safety standards) There are over 45 countries actively considering first-time nuclear power programs Can we afford to leave each country to its own safety framework without any requirement for accountability to the international community? 9

10 Global watchdog: A role for the IAEA The IAEA s objective is to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world Has nuclear security mandate under the IAEA statute as confirmed by the Board of Governors and the General Conference Currently, no similar mandate for safety exists it acts as an advisor on nuclear safety, responding to invitations by Member States IAEA role in promoting and enhancing global nuclear safety The IAEA s role should be solidified as a global watchdog publicizing safety concerns The organization is in the strongest position to keep Member States accountable and committed to nuclear safety A formal mechanism to address nuclear safety deficiencies at the international level should be developed to identify poorly performing Member States and ensure nuclear safety is upheld 10

11 How is the CNSC contributing to global safety? International review of Convention on Nuclear Safety 2017 Leadership of Ramzi Jammal, CNSC Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer Supporting peer reviews Welcoming them domestically (IRRS, IPPAS, EPREV, CNS ) and reporting on findings Only participating in the peer reviews of countries committed to transparency and following up on recommendations Promoting greater accountability Advocating stronger nuclear safety roles for IAEA and WANO o Publicly identifying poor performers / safety risks Another incident will hurt the nuclear industry as a whole. We need to work with the international nuclear community to prevent safety-related accidents. 11

12 Conclusion: Global presence As a regulator with a strong international presence, the CNSC has been a leader in promoting enhanced nuclear safety globally. Four international objectives: 1. Enhance global nuclear safety regulation o Example: Support the development of international safety standards 2. Strengthen the international nuclear security and non-proliferation regimes o Example: Support global safeguard regimes and provide nuclear security capacity building 3. Encourage international accountability and transparency to strengthen the global nuclear safety regime o Example: Participate in peer reviews on the condition that the reviews are made public 4. Ensure the CNSC leverages international best practices o Example: Adapting and incorporating international standards into our regulatory framework 12

13 One thing is certain. We will never compromise safety it s in our DNA! nuclearsafety.gc.ca 13

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