Too little is known about firms with nuclear ties, critics say

Catholic New Times, May 21, 2006

OTTAWA -- Critics allege that the federal government is licensing companies to handle dangerous nuclear materials without knowing who ultimately owns the businesses.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) does not know the identity of owners of the companies it oversees, according to nuclear critics. Opponents described it as a major blunder on the part of the federal watchdog agency, given the high-security risks presented by nuclear materials, whether for peaceful and military uses, and the potential costs of any accident involving radioactive releases.

Dave Martin, an energy analyst at Greenpeace, told the Globe and Mail that if problems were to arise at a company licensed to use radioactive material, the government should know who owns the business.

"Understanding the ownership is part of understanding (a company's) capability, their economic viability, and ultimately that could have environmental and health impacts as well as business impacts," Martin said, adding that there has been a "history of problems" at nuclear facilities that dodge their environmental responsibilities.

The federal regulator, however, only ensures that a company is legally incorporated to do business in Canada and does not scrutinize any further. The Nuclear Safety and Control Act "does not require that the commission obtain shareholder information from a licensee," said Pascale Bourassa, a spokeswoman for the CNSC.

The lack of routine checks on the ownership of nuclear companies came to light during a hearing into a licence renewal for SRB Technologies (Canada) Inc., an Ontario company allowed to handle radioactive tritium. Nuclear regulations usually require companies to have cleanup plans and financial guarantees to make sure their facilities do not release harmful radiation after they close. Still, the Canadian watchdog doesn't require routine notification when a company's ownership changes.