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Canada’s Harper govt increases nuclear operators’ liability to just $1 billion
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/nuclear-power-plants-to-be-on-the-hook-for-1-billion-in-event-of-meltdown/article12446956/
Nuclear power plants to be on the hook for $1-billion in event of meltdown
GLORIA GALLOWAY
OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 11:37 AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 8:07 PM EDT
109 comments
The Harper government says Canada’s nuclear operators should not have to pay more than a billion dollars in total compensation in the event of a catastrophic incident at one of their reactors.
Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Monday he will introduce legislation in the fall to increase the liability limit from the current $75-million – an amount set four decades ago and one that is widely recognized to be grossly inadequate.
One billion dollars is actually $350-million more than the government proposed in its four previous attempts to lift the cap that didn’t make it through Parliament. And it would bring Canada in line with many of the other leading nuclear nations.
But, as the cleanup continues at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan more than two years after an earthquake and tsunami caused equipment failures and meltdowns, critics question why there should be a cap at all. Estimates of the money needed to address the problems at the Japanese facility vary widely but the Tokyo Electric Power Company said last fall it could be $125-billion.
<snip>
Nuclear power plants to be on the hook for $1-billion in event of meltdown
GLORIA GALLOWAY
OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 11:37 AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Jun. 10 2013, 8:07 PM EDT
109 comments
The Harper government says Canada’s nuclear operators should not have to pay more than a billion dollars in total compensation in the event of a catastrophic incident at one of their reactors.
Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Monday he will introduce legislation in the fall to increase the liability limit from the current $75-million – an amount set four decades ago and one that is widely recognized to be grossly inadequate.
One billion dollars is actually $350-million more than the government proposed in its four previous attempts to lift the cap that didn’t make it through Parliament. And it would bring Canada in line with many of the other leading nuclear nations.
But, as the cleanup continues at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan more than two years after an earthquake and tsunami caused equipment failures and meltdowns, critics question why there should be a cap at all. Estimates of the money needed to address the problems at the Japanese facility vary widely but the Tokyo Electric Power Company said last fall it could be $125-billion.
<snip>
Via http://nuclear-news.net/2013/06/12/canadas-harper-govt-increases-nuclear-operators-liability-to-just-1-billion/
1 replies
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