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Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)
On November 18, 2007, Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) shut down its nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, halting production of two-thirds of the world’s radioisotopes used for medical diagnostic testing.
 Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resource(Source: pm.gc.ca) |
The shutdown, requested by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), resulted from the failure of AECL to install a backup power system to the reactor’s cooling pumps. According to an assessment by the Safety Commission, a major nuclear accident of proportions similar to the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster could occur at Canada's Chalk River reactor unless a backup power supply system capable of withstanding natural disasters was installed [1]. In testimony before the House of Commons Committee for Public Safety, Linda Keen, then President of the CNSC, testified that the risks posed by the Chalk River nuclear reactor, far exceeded international standards for nuclear risk tolerance [2].
The extended shutdown caused a global shortage of medical radioisotopes and forced the delay and cancellation of important medical testing for thousands of critically ill patients around the world. During the shutdown, the Conservative government came under intense criticism amid public concerns for not only continued medical care but also of nuclear safety.
Facing questions from the public, Conservative Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn claimed he was not made aware of the extended reactor shutdown and the ensuing isotope shortage until December 3, 2007. Health Minister Tony Clement claimed that he was only informed on December 5, 2008 [3].
However, reports and witness testimony after the isotope crisis say otherwise. Former AECL Chairman Michael Burns testified he briefed Mr. Lunn as early as November 22, 2007; MDS Nordion – the medical company that marketed the radio-isotopes – testified that they warned senior officials at the Department of Natural Resources about the isotope shortage on November 22, 2007; AECL itself e-mailed the Department on November 22, 2007; the nuclear medicine industry was informed of the shortage on November 27, 2007; and a source close to AECL told the Globe and Mail that an e-mail was sent to Mr. Lunn before Dec. 1, 2007 urging him to turn his attention to the mounting problem [4].
Rather than working with AECL to install the backup power supply system, Minister Lunn demanded Ms. Keen and the Safety Commission approve immediate start-up of the reactor, without the backup power supply, a violation of national law and international standards regarding nuclear safety [5].
Finally, on December 11, 2007, the Conservative government introduced Bill C-38, calling for the immediate start up of the reactor. In an effort to protect those in need of medical isotopes all parties supported the bill. By December 16, 2007, the backup power supply was installed and the reactor was restarted.
In the aftermath, experts criticized the Conservative government’s mismanagement of a routine shutdown that led to an international medical crisis. Why was there not adequate scrutiny to ensure the proper safety of the reactor before a shutdown was needed? If a shutdown and the resulting loss of radio-isotope production was predictable, why did the government not seek to purchase nuclear materials from other suppliers in order to maintain the supply of radio-isotopes?
Testifying before the House of Commons Health Committee, Health Minister Tony Clement claimed his department had made calls to foreign isotope suppliers but found “overseas suppliers could only increase their output by ten to 15 per cent. Furthermore, overseas suppliers indicated that the earliest they could provide the additional supply was Dec. 29." This was later refuted by Grant Malkoske, a vice-president at MDS Nordion, who told the Commons health committee his company had already received from South Africa by Dec. 12 about 20 per cent of required isotopes used to diagnose and treat cancer and heart patients. [6].
In the ensuing investigation, the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee called on Linda Keen, President of the CNSC to give her account of the events. However, late at night, on the eve of her appearance, Minister Lunn fired Ms. Keen for failure to "take into account the health of Canadians who, for medical purposes, depend on nuclear substances produced by nuclear reactors," delaying her testimony [7].
Two weeks later, her appearance rescheduled, Ms. Keen informed the committee that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s “primary responsibility in the case of this facility is to protect Canadians by ensuring that the nuclear facility is operating safely. Indeed, under the law, the commission did not have the authority to take the issue of isotopes into consideration when making its decision up to Dec. 10.” In the estimation of the CNSC, Ms. Keen testified, the Chalk River reactor posed an unacceptable risk, a risk 1,000 times greater than the international standard [8].
Critics decried the Conservative government’s actions as attacks to silence those who refuse to toe the party line and for firing Ms. Keen for doing her job – looking out for the safety of people working in and living near a nuclear reactor. Critics also expressed serious concerns concerning the Conservative government’s actions and its implications for the proper oversight of arms-length, independent bodies tasked with the ensuring the safety of Canadians [9].
References
[1] Ottawa thwarts nuclear watchdog; Nuclear Safety Commission warns of possibility of serious accident at ChalkRiver, but PM says there's no safety issue in restarting reactor, The Globe And Mail , December 12, 2007; Isotope shortage jeopardizes cancer treatments, Kingston Whig-Standard (On), December 6, 2007
[2] Reactor posed unacceptable risk, former watchdog says; Keen defends actions before House, claims Lunn stepped 'over the line', Times Colonist (Victoria), January 30, 2008
[3] Clement promises answers on shutdown; Health Minister visits Chalk River facility as questions remain about when cabinet first learned about problem, The Globe And Mail, December 20, 2007
[4] Firm knew of isotope crisis before Ottawa; MDS Nordion warned customers in a letter while government says it was in the dark, The Globe And Mail, December 21, 2007; Gov't aware of crisis at nuclear plant, MP says; Minister had provided funding to fix problem, Edmonton Journal, December 19, 2007
[5] Head of Nuclear Safety Commission fired, Dawson Creek Daily News, January 16, 2008
[6] Government 'scouring the globe' for isotopes, Montreal Gazette, December 11, 2007; Testimony clashes, tempers flare at committee studying nuclear shutdown, North Bay Nugget (On), February 13, 2008
[7] Harper takes new swipe at nuclear watchdog; PM defends decision to restart ChalkRiver reactor to provide medical isotopes, saying shutdown should never have happened, The Globe And Mail, January 11, 2008; Lunn defends late-night move to fire nuclear watchdog; Nuclear safety boss had been scheduled to testify before Commons committee, The Globe And Mail, January 17, 2008
[8] Keen says safety, not isotope production focus of commission's mandate, Canwest News Service, January 30, 2008; Reactor posed unacceptable risk, former watchdog says; Keen defends actions before House, claims Lunn stepped 'over the line', Times Colonist (Victoria), January 30, 2008; Keen defends decision to shut reactor in name of safety; Bureaucrat insists risk was 1,000 times greater than standard, The Ottawa Citizen, January 30, 2008; Reactor posed unacceptable risk, former watchdog says; Keen defends actions before House, claims Lunn stepped 'over the line', Times Colonist (Victoria), January 30, 2008
[9] Ousted regulator just doing her job: National Affairs, The Daily Courier (Kelowna), January 18, 2008; Mugging of bureaucrat will come back to bite Tories, Kingston Whig-Standard (On), January 22, 2008