(OTTAWA) – The Green Party of Canada released the following statement following an audit by the federal Environment Commissioner, Julie Gelfand, on nuclear safety inspections:
“This alarming report from Canada’s Environment Commissioner shows nuclear safety inspections are full of sloppy record keeping and mismanaged tracking methods. Unfortunately, Ms. Gelfand’s findings are a predictable result of years of government meddling in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) under Stephen Harper,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
The Commissioner could find no proof that the CNSC is conducting adequate inspections or risk analysis on when to conduct inspections on nuclear power plant operators.
“The predecessor in my riding, former Federal Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, attacked and fired CNSC president Linda Keen for her cautious shutdown of the Chalk River medical isotope-producing nuclear reactor in 2007. This signalled a culture shift from the government of the day – enforcing regulations could get you fired. The Trudeau administration has to send fundamental top-down new signals to regulators throughout the government of Canada that their job is public service, not to function as a corporate concierge service,” Ms. May said.
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Dan PalmerPress Secretary | Attaché de presse
Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canadadan.palmer@greenparty.cam: (613) 614-4916