14 Apr (NucNet): The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) says it resumed full regulatory oversight of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, on 11 April.
The connections of heavy water pumps to the emergency power supply (EPS) in Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s (AECL) NRU reactor had been exempted from regulatory control for 120 days by legislation passed on 12 December 2007.
AECL had extended a scheduled maintenance shutdown of the reactor that began in November 2007 to connect the two pumps after CNSC staff said the issue should have been dealt with by the end of 2005.
The president of the CNSC at the time, Linda Keen, was dismissed in January 2008 after natural resources minister Gary Lunn said NRU’s extended shutdown was “threatening to cause a national and international health crisis”.
However, a number of Canadian parliamentarians criticised the government’s interference in the regulatory process and said Ms Keen’s dismissal was unprecedented.
A subsequent Canadian government directive advised the CNSC to take into account the health of Canadians who depend on the NRU for medical treatments.
CNSC president Michael Binder said the directive “will be part of our deliberations in all future CNSC licensing decisions”.
He added: “The (NRU) reactor is operating safely and CNSC and AECL staffs have agreed on a way forward through more effective regulatory compliance to ensure that such a situation does not reoccur. Upgrades relating to the connection of the EPS to two of the NRU’s main cooling pumps are fully operational.”
– Compiled by John Shepherd
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Petten Research Reactor Helps Meet Shortage Of Radioisotope (World Nuclear Review No. 49, 7 December 2007)
AECL Research Reactor Returns To Service (News in Brief No. 45, 18 December 2007)
Canada MPs May Seek International Advice Over Dismissal Of Nuclear Regulator (News No. 5, 17 January 2008)
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