Supplementary Information for the 2018–19 Departmental Plan: Corporate Information
Raison d’être
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was established on May 31, 2000, with the coming into force of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA). It replaced the Atomic Energy Control Board established in 1946 by the Atomic Energy Control Act.
The CNSC is a departmental corporation listed in Schedule II of the Financial Administration Act and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources.
Mandate and role
Under the NSCA, the CNSC:
- regulates the development, production and use of nuclear energy in Canada to protect health, safety, security and the environment
- regulates the production, possession, use and transport of nuclear substances, and the production, possession and use of prescribed equipment and prescribed information
- implements measures respecting international control of the development, production, transport and use of nuclear energy and substances, including measures respecting the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosive devices
- is responsible for disseminating objective scientific, technical and regulatory information concerning the CNSC’s activities, and how the development, production, possession, transport and use of nuclear substances affect the environment and the health and safety of persons
Operating context
To effectively deliver on its mandate, the CNSC continuously monitors the external environment to ensure that the organization is ready to adapt to changes that may impact its priorities, particularly changes brought about by the nuclear industry, and through domestic and international political contexts. The themes covered in this section are the backdrop to those contexts, and drive the CNSC’s environmental scanning, risk management and strategic planning processes.
Today, technology is advancing rapidly. We are observing a growing gap between the technology available and the capacity of government to increase the pace of policy and regulation adoption accordingly. These technological developments are already shaping expectations in terms of how Canadians wish to interact with government and driving much-needed reform in how we conduct day-to-day business. In the context of the CNSC, regulation will need to account for any number of innovative and disruptive technologies (e.g., 3D printing, small modular reactors) in the nuclear industry in the coming years.
Cybersecurity threats affect both nuclear facilities and nuclear materials. As the nuclear industry adopts new technologies, it must ensure adequate protections to mitigate potential vulnerabilities. In addition to fortifying its own systems, the CNSC is focusing on continuous improvement of the industry in light of the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats.
The global economy has not returned to the level of growth seen prior to the 2008 financial crisis, and risks to a recovery continue to intensify. In the nuclear industry, there are regional variances. Nuclear refurbishments in Ontario are an economic bright spot, while challenges to Cameco’s uranium operations in Saskatchewan will affect that province’s economy. Outside of Canada, China is poised to become the most significant player in the nuclear export market and could become an important partner for Canada.
The Paris Agreement marked a milestone in the global fight against climate change, but challenges remain for the momentum of global emission reduction efforts. Global energy mix predictions indicate a decline in conventional oil and gas, and an increase in renewable energies and natural gas. While the nuclear industry is not expected to grow its share of global energy production, as some countries move away from nuclear energy, it remains part of Canada’s and several other countries’ future energy innovation plans for meeting the emission limits established at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
The Canadian government proposed legislation to establish new rules for the review of major projects in Canada. This legislation would broaden the scope for assessing how a proposed project could affect not only our environment, but also health, society, the economy and Indigenous peoples, over the long term.
Exacerbated by social media, societal changes have contributed to a decline in the public’s confidence in government, industry and experts. Government has to balance the demand for public consultation with an increasingly individualistic society. With regards to nuclear energy, the perception held by the public is directly linked to their proximity to nuclear facilities and their understanding of the sector.
Key risks
Risk management is a fundamental part of the CNSC’s mission to protect health, safety, security and the environment; to implement Canada’s international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy; and to disseminate objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public.
The CNSC operates in an environment driven by factors that are not all under its control. Although it has a comprehensive regulatory oversight regime, unplanned events may occur. Given this possibility, the CNSC maintains strong controls to mitigate risks that the organization or stakeholders may face.
The identified risks are mitigated through ongoing strategies that are part of the CNSC’s core responsibility. Their impact on Canadians and stakeholders varies. Malevolent activities or a nuclear reactor accident could have a potentially high impact whereas lost or stolen nuclear substances, accidents in transport, and nuclear fuel processing facility accident or event could have a lower or moderate impact.
| Risks | Risk response strategy | Link to the department’s programs | Link to departmental priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
Nuclear reactor accident: There is a risk of an accident at a nuclear reactor. | Departmental tolerance:
Risk mitigation strategies:
Control effectiveness:
| Nuclear Reactors | Departmental priority – Modern nuclear regulation |
Malevolent activities: There is a risk of malevolent activities and/or diversion of nuclear materials, equipment and technology of Canadian origin. | Departmental tolerance:
Risk mitigation strategies:
Control effectiveness:
| Nuclear Non-Proliferation | Departmental priority – Global nuclear influence |
Lost or stolen nuclear substances and transportation accidents: There is a risk of a loss of regulatory controls over nuclear substances and accidents in transport. | Departmental tolerance:
Risk mitigation strategies:
Control effectiveness:
| Nuclear Substances and Prescribed Equipment | Departmental priority – Modern nuclear regulation |
Nuclear fuel processing facility accident/event: There is a risk of an accident at a nuclear fuel processing facility. | Departmental tolerance:
Risk mitigation strategies:
Control effectiveness:
| Nuclear Fuel Cycle | Departmental priority – Modern nuclear regulation |
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