Re: [cdn-nucl-l] " Government poised to fire nuclear watchdog "

["WILLIAMS Brent\(B\) - BRUCE POWER" <Brent.Williams@brucepower.com>]

>> The Harper government is poised to fire Linda Keen, Canada's top 
>> nuclear watchdog, amid renewed accusations that public health and 
>> confidence in nuclear safety have been jeopardized by her handling of

>> the Chalk River medical isotope scare.
>Good news in my opinion.  Replace her with someone who understands how
beneficial nuclear power is.
>
>--
>Randal Leavitt - another Ubuntu user

Randal - tell that to someone who woke up in Pripyat on April 26 1986.

Nuclear power is poised on a renaissance. The challenges ahead of us
range from political to social to economic, in addition to science and
engineering. We are completely at the mercy of the public; however, our
worst enemy is ourselves. If we can not deliver units on time / on
budget, and operate them not only to our normal extraordinary safety
level, but to the public appearance of that safety level, then we will
not see the potential that our technology offers.

I heard three different speakers in the opening session at the American
Nuclear Society Winter Meeting state that nuclear can not function
without a strong and independent regulator. I agree.

In order to be strong, the regulator needs to issue directives that are
realistic and effective. I don't have enough information in this case to
judge whether or not the upgrades in question should have been part of
the license basis of the unit. I don't have enough information to judge
AECL's actions in this case.

But I do know that instead of telling the public that the CNSC may have
erred on the side of caution in its mandate, our government is telling
the public that nuclear safety standards are negotiable on Parliament's
convenience.

Overriding the regulator is a fundamentally dangerous precedent. I pray
that the government is aware of that.





Brent Williams

Configuration Controller - Bruce B Training Simulator - Bruce Power
(www.brucepower.com)

Vice President - North American Young Generation in Nuclear
(www.na-ygn.org)

PO Box 1540, B31 Tiverton, ON N0G 2T0

Phone: 519 361 2673 x4404
Toll Free: 1 866 748 4787 x4404


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