News Release - Nuclear Safety and Control Act - Bill C-23

[cawthorn.r@atomcon.gc.ca]

        NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA - NEWS RELEASE 96/12 
        March 21, 1996
        
        OTTAWA - Anne McLellan, federal Minister of Natural Resources 
        (NRCan), today introduced the Nuclear Safety and Control Act 
        (NSCA) in the House of Commons.  The Act will replace the Atomic 
        Energy Control Act of 1946 with a modern statute that reflects 
        public expectations for the regulation of nuclear energy.
        
        "The NSCA provides for more explicit and effective regulation of 
        nuclear activities.  It ensures high standards in the areas of 
        health, safety, security and protection of the environment" 
        Minister McLellan said.
        
        "This legislation acts on commitments outlined in the recent 
        Speech to the Throne for sustaining our environment and for 
        ensuring a modern regulatory regime that will meet the needs of 
        the 21st century," she added. "It is designed to eliminate 
        unnecessary overlap and duplication by encouraging cooperative 
        regulatory arrangements between federal and provincial 
        agencies."
        
        The new Act will rename the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) 
        the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
        
        The new Act includes an effective regulatory process that 
        provides more opportunity for public participation.  It makes 
        several major changes:
        - It enshrines in law the powers of inspector, and increases the 
        maximum penalties for infractions from $10,000 to $1,000,000.
        - It empowers the Commission to require financial guarantees to 
        ensure that costs of decommissioning nuclear facilities are 
        borne by the licensees and not by the taxpayers.
        - It authorizes the Commission to order remedial action in 
        hazardous situations, and to require responsible parties to bear 
        the costs of such actions.
        - It makes legal provision for public hearings, review and 
        appeal.
        - It increases the number of Commission members from five to 
        seven to provide a broader range of expertise.
        - It allows for enhanced cooperative arrangements with other 
        federal or provincial agencies to remove duplication and overlap 
        in regulatory requirements.
        
        "Updating the current legislation demonstrates our commitment to 
        increasing the efficiency of the federation of Canada," Minister 
        McLellan noted.
        
        For further information, please contact: 
        Lisa Hart
        Press Secretary
        Minister's Office
        (613) 996-2007
        
        Hugh Spence
        Chief, Office of Public Information
        AECB
        (613) 995-5894
        
        Dr. Bob Morrison
        Director General, Uranium and Nuclear Energy Branch 
        NRCan
        (613) 992-3370
        
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        The above is provided BY ME for information only and is 
        NOT an official publication of the AECB.
        
        NOTE TO AECB LICENSEES:  A copy of the NSCA is being mailed 
        to all Canadian licensees in the next couple days.
        
        Richard Cawthorn                cawthorn.r@atomcon.gc.ca 
        Licence Assessment Officer                (613) 995-6129 
        AECB, Materials Regulation Division
        Medical, Academic and Accelerator Licensing Section